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Census Bureau News -- Facts for Features -- Grandparents Day 2010: Sept. 12 (resend)

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6.4 million

The number of grandparents whose grandchildren younger than 18 lived with them in 2008.

Source: 2008 American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

Grandparents as Caregivers

2.6 million

The number of grandparents responsible for most of the basic needs (i.e., food, shelter, clothing) of one or more of the grandchildren who lived with them in 2008. These grandparents represented about 41 percent of all grandparents whose grandchildren lived with them. Of these caregivers, 1.6 million were grandmothers, and 983,000 were grandfathers.

19%

Percentage of grandparents who were caring for their grandchildren and whose income was below the poverty level. This represents 493,000 grandparents.

$46,906

Median income for families with grandparent-caregiver householders. If a parent of the grandchildren was not present, the median dropped to $34,782.

977,000

Number of grandparents responsible for caring for their grandchildren for at least the past five years.

1.9 million

The number of grandparent-caregivers who were married.

1.6 million

The number of grandparents who were in the labor force and also responsible for most of the basic needs of their grandchildren.

655,000

Number of grandparents with a disability who were caring for their grandchildren.

72%

Among grandparents who cared for their grandchildren, the percentage who lived in an owner-occupied home.

Source for statements in this section: 2008 American Community Survey http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Products/users_guide/index.htm

Grandchildren

7 million

The number of children living with a grandparent in 2009; these children comprised 9 percent of all children in the United States. Of these children, 4.5 million, lived in the grandparent's home.

Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2009 http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2009.html Table C4

2.7 million

The number of children who lived with both a grandmother and a grandfather in 2009.

Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2009 http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam/cps2009.html Table C4

30%

Among children younger than 5 whose mothers worked outside the home, the percentage cared for on a regular basis by a grandparent during their mother's working hours in 2005.

Source: Who's Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 2005

http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/child/ppl-2005.html

    Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census
     Bureau's Facts for Features series:

    African-American History Month
     (February)                             Labor Day
    Super Bowl                             Grandparents Day
                                            Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept.
    Valentine's Day (Feb. 14)               15-Oct. 15)
    Women's History Month (March)          Unmarried and Single Americans Week
    Irish-American Heritage Month
     (March)/                              Halloween (Oct. 31)
                                            American Indian/Alaska Native
      St. Patrick's Day (March 17)          Heritage Month
    Asian/Pacific American Heritage
     Month (May)                           (November)
    Older Americans Month (May)            Veterans Day (Nov. 11)
    Cinco de Mayo (May 5)                  Thanksgiving Day
    Mother's Day                           The Holiday Season (December)
    Father's Day
    The Fourth of July (July 4)
    Anniversary of Americans with
     Disabilities Act (July 26)
    Back to School (August)

Editor's note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: pio@census.gov.

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau