Raising children requires massive amounts of time and energy, as well as emotional and monetary commitment. There may be many reasons why the current generation is experiencing hardship in raising their own offspring. This has led to increasing numbers of grandparents raising their grandchildren, both through adoption and otherwise. There may be many of these gray-headed households throughout Maryland.
According to recent statistics, many couples are choosing to skip the formality of wedding vows when setting up a household. One of the problems that have resulted from this trend is the care and custody of children when the couple decides to end the relationship. In these situations, many grandparents are stepping up to provide a stable and nurturing home for their grandchildren. When one set of grandparents learned that their grandchild was turned over to a foster family, they decided to take him into their home.
This couple formally adopted their grandchild in 2012. While they may not have expected to raise another child in their later years, they are far from a minority. Approximately seven million grandparents are providing a home for their children’s children. The majority of these grandparents have expressed that while the task of raising a child in their older age is difficult at times, they are aware of the important role they are fulfilling in the children’s lives.
The decision to enter into the adoption of any child is never undertaken lightly. A child who is adopted is given the priceless opportunity to belong to a family and experience all of the stability and support that comes along with the irreplaceable feeling of belonging. Maryland families who are seeking to offer a child this type of loving and permanent home may benefit from getting the information and guidance they require to achieve these laudatory goals.
Source: posttrib.suntimes.com, “Jerry Davich: Grandparents raising grandchildren — a graying trend”, Jerry Davich, Sept. 7, 2014