Collateral Damage of the Opioid Crisis: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren – What They Need and How to Help

This 7 page briefing paper from Altarum, and authored by C. Stanik, looks at the impact the opioid crisis has had on grandparents raising grandchildren. Researchers at Altarum conducted interviews with 20 grandmothers in Michigan who were raising their grandchildren and collected 1,015 responses to a nationwide survey of grandparents. They identified common challenges grandparents raising grandchildren face including: dealing with the complex mental and behavioral health needs of children who have experience severe psychological and physical trauma; financial stresses of raising a second family when they might be semi- or fully-retired; the difficulties accessing appropriate services or supports; and the complexity of the custodial and foster care systems. The report offers policy makers 5 suggestions for how to better support grandparents who are in this difficult situation.

Funding Source: Altarum