Guided by an ecological perspective on family policy, this qualitative study used family life history interviews to document the legal and policy dilemmas faced by 26 grandparent caregivers residing in Montana. Most grandparents (n = 18) were caring for their grandchildren in informal or private care arrangements. Findings revealed four legal or policy contexts that hindered informal grandparent caregiving, including the lack of a kinship care navigation system, the lack of legal rights, fear of the child welfare system, and disparities between informal and formal kinship care policies. Future policy directions, including expanding subsidized guardianship programs and granting informal grandparent caregivers' legal authority over their grandchildren, are discussed.
Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, Pub. L. 105-89, 111 Stat. 2115, codified as 42 U.S.C. § 1305 note (1997).
2.
Albert, R. (2000). Legal issues for custodial grandparents. In B. Hayslip Jr. & R. Goldberg-Glen (Eds.), Grandparents raising grandchildren: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical perspectives (pp. 327-340). New York: Springer.
Bruce, E.A. (2004). A parent's rights under the Fourteenth Amendment: Does Kentucky's de facto custodian statute violate due process? Kentucky Law Journal, 92, 529.
5.
Bulbolz, M.M., & Sontag, M.S. (1993). Human ecology theory. In P. G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R. Schumm, & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp. 419-447). New York: Plenum.
6.
Cox, C. B. (Ed.). (2000). To grandmother's house we go and stay: Perspective on custodial grandparents . New York: Springer.
7.
Dougherty, S. (2003). Child-only TANF payments for kinship care families in states served by Casey Family Programs. Washington, DC: Casey Family Programs. Retrieved July 26, 2007, from http://www.casey.org/Resources/Archive/Publications/ChildOnlyTANFPayments.htm
8.
Ehrle, J., & Geen, R. (2002). Kin and non-kin foster care: Findings from a national study. Child and Youth Services Review, 24(1/2), 15-35.
9.
Emick, M.A., & Hayslip, B. (1999). Custodial grandparenting: Stresses, coping skills, and relationships with grandchildren. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 48(1), 35-61.
10.
Geen, R., & Berrick, J.D. (2002). Kinship care: An evolving service delivery option . Children and Youth Services Review, 24(1/2), 1-14.
11.
Generations United. (2005). Public policy agenda for the 109th Congress. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved July 26, 2006 , from http://ipath.gu.org/documents/A0/109th_PPA.pdf
12.
Goodley, D., Lawthom, R., Clough, P., & Moore, M. (2004). Researching life stories: Method, theory and analyses in a biographical age. London: Routledge.
13.
Goodman, C., & Silverstein, M. (2002). Grandmothers raising grandchildren: Family structure and well-being in culturally diverse families. Gerontologist, 42(5), 676-689.
14.
Harvard Law Review. (1980). Developments in the law: The Constitution and the family. Boston: Author.
15.
Hayslip, B., & Goldberg-Glen, R. (Eds.). Grandparents raising grandchildren: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical perspectives. New York: Springer.
16.
Henderson, T.L., & Cook, J.L. (2005). Grandma's hands: Black grandmothers speak about their experiences rearing grandchildren on TANF. International Journal on Aging and Human Development, 61(1), 1-19.
17.
Henderson, T.L., & Moran, P.B. (2001). Grandparent visitation rights: Testing the parameters of parental rights. Journal of Family Issues, 22(5), 619-638.
18.
Hirshorn, B.A., Van Meter, M.J., & Brown, D.R. (2000). When grandparents raise grandchildren due to substance abuse: Responding to a uniquely destabilizing factor. In B. Hayslip Jr. & R. Goldberg-Glen (Eds.), Grandparents raising grandchildren: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical perspectives (pp. 269-288). New York: Springer.
19.
Jantz, A., Geen, R., Bess, R., Andrews, C., & Russell, V. (2002). The continuing evolution of state kinship care policies. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. Retrieved July 26, 2006, from http://www.urban.org/publications/310597.html
20.
Jendrick, M.P. (1993). Grandparents who parent their grandchildren: Effects in lifestyle. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 55(3), 609-621.
21.
Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage.
22.
Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
23.
Miller v. Youakim, 440 U.S. 125 (1979).
24.
Mullen, F. (2000). Grandparents and welfare reform. In C. B. Cox (Ed.), To grandmother's house we go and stay: Perspectives on custodial grandparents (pp. 113-131). New York: Springer.
25.
National Conference of State Legislatures. ( 2006). Highlights of recent kinship care state legislative enactments . Retrieved July 15, 2006, from http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/kinshiphigh.htm
26.
Perez-Porter, M., & Flint, M.M. (2000). Grandparent caregiving: Legal status issues and state policy. In C. B. Cox (Ed.), To grandmother's house we go and stay: Perspectives on custodial grandparents (pp.132-148). New York: Springer .
27.
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193, codified in part at 42 U.S.C. § 601 et seq. (1996).
28.
Phillips, S., & Bloom, B. (1998). In whose best interest? The impact of changing public policy on relatives caring for children with incarcerated parents. Child Welfare, 77(5), 531-541.
29.
Polasek v. Omura, § 40-9-102 M.C.A. (2006).
30.
Pruchno, R.A., & McKenney, D. (2002). Psychological well-being of Black and White grandmothers raising grandchildren: Examination of a two-factor model. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 57B(5), 444-452.
31.
Testa, M.F. (2004). When children cannot return home: Adoption and guardianship. Future of Children, 14(1), 115-129.
32.
Trzcinski, E. (1995). An ecological perspective on family policy: A conceptual and philosophical framework. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 16(1), 7-33.
33.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2003). Grandparents living with grandchildren: 2000. Retrieved January 11, 2007, from http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-31.pdf
34.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ( 2000). Report to the Congress on kinship foster care. Retrieved July 26, 2006, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/kinr2c00/full.pdf
35.
Wallace, G.W. (2001). Grandparent caregivers: Emerging issues in elder law and social work practice. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 34(3), 127-136.
