Are you a baby boomer (born between 1946 and 1964) who is partially or completely raising your grandchild(ren)?  Are you responsible for the welfare and upbringing due to unfortunate family circumstances?  Are you constantly challenged by the changes in society that have made being a parent more stressful?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2000, 5.8 million people were living with grandchildren younger than 18 years old.  Among these grandparents, 2.4 million were also grandparent caregivers who had primary responsibility for their grandchildren.  Among the grandparent caregivers, 39% had cared for their grandchildren for 5 or more years.

There are many parental factors leading to the increased grandparenting responsibilities in today's society:

• Abandonment
• Abuse or neglect
  
• Catastrophic illness
  
• Death of the parent
  
• Divorce
• Drug and/or alcohol use/abuse
• Homelessness
  
• Incarceration
  
• Loss of employment
  
• Mental illness
• Military deployment
• Teen pregnancy
• Work-related travel
  

Being "second time around" parents and having primary or sole responsibility for grandchildren can create unexpected challenges for you including:

• Anger and resentment
  
• Balancing home, work and school
  
• Depression
  
• Disruption of your own family responsibilities
  
• Family conflicts
  
• Fear
• Feelings of isolation
  
• Financial difficulties
  
• Grief
• Health-related issues
  
• Lack of space
  
• Legal concerns
  
• Loss of friends and socialization opportunities
• Separation or divorce
• Time Management