The U.S. Census Bureau now estimates that over 3.5 million children are currently living with their grandparents, which represents a 40-50 percent increase in just the past decade.

Among these caring grandparents, 60 percent are grandmothers and 40 percent are grandfathers. As a group, three-quarters of them are married, 13 percent are widowed and seven percent are divorced.

Southeast Missouri Hospital's Generations Family Resource Center is now trying to help grandparents in the region cope with their new parenting duties.

"A couple of people stopped in and mentioned something about grandparents parenting again," said Sandy Schnicker, BSN, RN, Generations staff nurse. "I did some research and found it to be a very growing trend. After looking at the data, we thought that this program would be beneficial."

The program, "Grandparents Raising Grandchildren," helps grandparents learn skills to better communicate with their grandchildren as well as receive emotional support from others.

"We review communication processes between grandparents and their grandchildren and resources available to them," said Schnicker. "We also help them refine study habits to promote education with their grandchildren and also help them with emergency situations, such as what to do if their grandchild needs to come to the hospital and they don't have primary custody."

The growing group of grandparent caregivers face a wide array of problems not easily addressed by public policy, such as encountering increased physical demands at a time when physical health may be deteriorating, or having fewer opportunities to socialize with friends.

"We try to lend support and promote well-being with the grandparents to let them know not to forget about themselves when caring for others," Schnicker said.

In an AARP Women's Initiative report, Going It Alone: A Closer Look at Grandparents Parenting Grandchildren, the changing domestic scene shows that the median age of midlife and older grandparent caregivers is 57. In the 45-64 age group, the median age is 54; in the 65+ group, the median age is 70. More than 75 percent of caregivers are between the ages of 45-64. Thirty-nine percent are 45-54 and 38 percent are 55-64. Twenty-three percent are aged 65 or older and almost seven percent are over 75 years of age.

"We present everyone attending our program with a resource list of community agencies and organizations that can help grandparents in their new parenting roles," said Schnicker. These resources help grandparents understand their "not-so-new" role as a parent.

Community resources help these new parents find assistance they may desperately need. The median income of households where grandparents are raising grandchildren is about $18,000, half the median income of traditional households with children. Twenty-seven percent live at or below the poverty level while another 14 percent are near-poor. Only six percent of grandparent caregivers reported receiving child support payments.

Midlife and older persons in grandparents caregiver households are the least educated of all non-traditional households. Fifty-eight percent of them did not graduate from high school while another 26 percent had no formal schooling beyond a high school diploma. Only five percent earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

So why do so many children now depend on their grandparents for their upbringing?

Factors such as incapacitating illness, substance abuse, incarceration, child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and neighborhood crime affect parents' ability to care for their children. White children living with a grandparent were reportedly a larger group than other nationalities.

"The program used to be offered over five weeks," Schnicker said. "But grandparents really need this information, so we have condensed the program to 1 1/2 hours.

"We've received very positive feedback on the program," Schnicker continued. "We've even had someone from one of our resources attend our program and ask to present some of our material to her clients."

The Generations Family Resource Center offers the program periodically. "This is only the second time we've offered this program," said Schnicker. "We will offer it again if we receive a lot of feedback or requests for it."

Anyone wishing to receive more information can contact Generations at (573) 651-5825.