Grandmothers As Child Caregivers: A Unique Child Care Arrangement

Authors

Kathy L. Reschke, Ohio State UniversityFollow
Susan K. Walker, University of MarylandFollow

Abstract

This paper draws attention to grandmothers who provide child care and the parents and children they serve, by sharing the results of a study of a group of employed mothers from rural, low-income families who used grandmother care on a regular basis. Although their experiences cannot represent those of all mothers who use grandmother care, they are valuable in understanding the perspective of many women with few feasible options who depend on this type of care.

Author Biography

Kathy L. Reschke is Assistant Professor in human development and family science and an Extension specialist at the Ohio State University. Dr. Reschke is using the knowledge gained from 15 years of serving children and families in child care environments, and doing research into low-income mothers’ child care choices, to better understand families’ use of grandmother-provided child care.

Susan K. Walker is an Associate Professor of Family Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a state Extension specialist in Child Development and Family Life. Her primary areas of interest are parenting, public policy, and child care quality. She is active in teaching, outreach and program evaluation in child development, education, technology, and afterschool programs for low-income youth.

Recommended Citation

Reschke, K. L., & Walker, S. K. (2005). Grandmothers As Child Caregivers: A Unique Child Care Arrangement. Occasional Paper Series, (15). DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1199