Since 2000, the share of children in the U.S. living with at least one grandparent has increased by more than 36%, from 9.3% to 12.7%, according to research published by the Brookings Institution. By 2019, one in eight children lived with a grandparent.
Children come into these living situations as a result of parental inability to care for a child, the death of a parent, and other crises. Children living in skip-generation arrangements — defined as a child living with at least one grandparent, but no parent — are more likely to be living in poverty and facing multiple hardships.
By the numbers: More than 1 in 6 Black children live with their grandparents, and the share is similar for Asian children.
- Non-Hispanic white children are less likely to live with a grandparent than other major groups.
However, this group also experienced the largest change over the 2000-2019 time period – from 5.8% to 9.2%.
