Benefits and drawbacks of grandparental childcare uncovered in new study

Research published in Health Economics indicates that regular childcare provided by grandparents can ease the pressures on parents but may have some negative impacts on children's health.

Some children regularly cared for by grandparents tended to have poorer general health, at least in the health measures that were available for analysis. This was most evident among boys and elementary-school-aged children and may reflect differences in daily routines and activities between care provided by grandparents and that offered in formal daycare or after-school settings.

Elena Ziege, Junior Researcher, Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB)The findings highlight the central role of grandparental care in families' caregiving arrangements and the meaningful benefits it provides to parents of young children."

Source:

Wiley

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