SUMMARY

More than 2.5 million children across the U.S. live in households where grandparents have taken on the role of primary caregiver. But many grandparents face challenges navigating custody issues and accessing the resources and support they need. A new book, "Grandfamilies: Stories of Children and the Loving Relatives Who Raise Them" by Donna Butts, tells the story of the fight for the rights of these unique caregivers and features testimony from many who are part of grandfamilies themselves.

View the transcript of the story.

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

News alternative: Check our recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Who is Adam Otto and what is his story?
2. Why did Donna Butts feel the families she calls grandfamilies deserve a spotlight?
3. Where do grandparents raising their grandchildren often run into the most obstacles?
4. How do the recent cuts in social programs, like TANF or Medicaid, ACA-related coverage, and SNAP, particularly impact grandfamilies?
5. What are the benefits that children who grew up in these grandfamilies experience, according to Butts?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

• Donna Butts discusses some of the hardships that grandparents face when stepping into these caregiving roles. How do you think public policy and social programs can evolve to better support grandfamilies?
  • As examples, take a look at two initiatives for supporting grandfamilies led by Generations United, the advocacy organization for which Donna Butts was a longtime executive director.
  • Additionally, you can take a look at the Grandfamilies Grandfacts Fact Sheet for your state to get examples of current programs supporting grandfamilies.
• Both Butts and Otto attest to the unconditional love, cultural connection and familial support that grandparents are able to provide, in contrast to the unpredictability and instability of the foster care system. What are some unique ways that your family demonstrates unconditional love?

Media literacy: Notice how the News Hour segment opened with an anecdote from Adam Otto and closed with this infographic citing data from the American Psychological Association. Why do you think both quantitative and qualitative data were included? Do you think one is more persuasive than another in telling this particular story? Explain.

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Learn more about grandfamilies and the current issues surrounding them by visiting Generations United's State of Grandfamilies and Kinship Care in America Annual Report. Select one publication, spanning topics such as mental health, affordable housing and education, to read. If time-constrained, read only the executive summary and take a look at the infographic, scanning for key facts, findings and recommendations.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the overall message the report is trying to communicate?
2. What are three key findings from the report and how do they support the overall argument?
3. What are three policy recommendations the report offers? Which do you think is the strongest and most effective and why?

Written by Claudia Caruso, PBS News Hour Classroom's intern and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio

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