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10.01.2025

The Silent Safety Net: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Across the United States, millions of grandparents are stepping in to raise their grandchildren — often unexpectedly, and often without the safety net of the foster care system. While these “grandfamilies” provide stability and love, they frequently do so with limited financial support, legal authority, or access to resources.

According to the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, as of September 2024, about 2.5 million children are being raised in kinship/grandfamilies nationwide. Strikingly, for every child in foster care with relatives, there are about 18 being raised by kin outside of foster care — meaning the vast majority of these families are navigating challenges on their own.

In Nevada, the numbers are equally telling. Data from GrandFacts: Nevada shows:

• 28,000 grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren.
• 24,070 children live in homes where relatives are the head of household.
• Only 1,799 children in kinship care are in foster care — leaving most families outside the formal system.
• For every 1 child in foster care with relatives, 15 are being raised by kin outside of foster care.

Without the structure of the foster care system, these grandparents often face barriers to enrolling children in school, accessing healthcare, or qualifying for public benefits. Many live on fixed incomes, and nearly one in five grandparents responsible for grandchildren nationwide lives below the poverty line.

First 5 Nevada: A Lifeline for Grandfamilies

For Nevada grandparents raising young children, First 5 Nevada offers a critical bridge to resources, information, and advocacy. Laurie Henderson, a grandparent raising her granddaughter, shared:

“First 5 Nevada has been really helpful for us because we’ve been able to get online and check out all the benefits and things that we have available to us — some of it that we didn’t even know we qualified for ourselves.”

Her husband, Scott Henderson, added:

“Some of it actually our granddaughter qualifies for that we don’t qualify for, and we had no idea of that, so that was really important to find out.”

Beyond connecting families to benefits, First 5 Nevada actively involves caregivers in shaping its programs. Laurie noted:

“We were able to help with the beta testing for the program… and having our voice heard was really important as well.”

This kind of engagement empowers grandparents not only to access resources but also to advocate for policies that support early childhood development.

The Stakes — and the Savings

The role grandparents play in keeping children out of foster care has enormous social and economic impact. Nationally, kinship caregivers save U.S. taxpayers over $10.5 billion annually by preventing children from entering the foster care system. Without them, the system — which currently serves about 343,000 children — would be overwhelmed.

Yet, despite their contributions, many grandfamilies lack access to:

• Child-only TANF grants.
• Affordable childcare and respite care.
• Legal assistance for guardianship or custody.
• Health coverage and consent rights for medical care.

How Nevada Can Support Its Grandfamilies

While First 5 Nevada is a vital resource, the GrandFacts: Nevada fact sheet lists additional statewide programs that can help, including:

• Foster Kinship – Statewide Kinship Navigator program with case management, support groups, and emergency resources.
• The Children’s Cabinet – Childcare subsidies, caregiver education, and youth intervention programs.
• Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada and Washoe Legal Services – Legal representation and advocacy for children.

By connecting grandparents to these programs, Nevada can help ensure that children in grandfamilies have the same opportunities for health, education, and stability as any other child.

Conclusion

Grandparents raising grandchildren are an invisible backbone of child welfare in America. They provide love, stability, and safety — often at great personal sacrifice.

For Nevada’s grandfamilies, First 5 Nevada offers not just resources, but recognition — a reminder that they are not alone in this journey.

Sources:

1. Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network – Kinship/Grandfamilies Data
2. GrandFacts: Nevada – Generations United, AARP, Casey Family Programs, 2021