AARP Stats

How Many Grandparents Provide Childcare?

No one knows exactly how many grandparents provide childcare for their grandchildren. But research studies give us a few clues. The U.S. Census Bureau says that grandparents provide childcare for almost a quarter (23%) of children under the age of five. That number is even higher for youngsters who live only with their dads. Grandparents watch more than a third (34%) of these children. An even higher percentage (38%) of Hispanic preschoolers receives childcare from their grandparents.
Other studies tell us even more. One study appeared in the April 2001 issue of a journal called The Gerontologist. This study talks about how much time grandparents actually spend taking care of grandchildren each week. Almost one quarter (24%) of these grandparents watch grandkids between 10 and 29 hours a week. About 7 percent stay with grandchildren more than 30 hours a week.