ABSTRACT

This chapter explores trends in grandparental care. Grandparental care is often seen as a relatively new phenomenon, with grandparents perceived to be increasingly taking up caring responsibilities. The chapter explores the evidence and literature on this, and considers grandparent care for children who would otherwise be in the care of the state. Next, it discusses important issues that are arose in terms of access to resources to facilitate this care, and the discretionary nature of the powers of Local Authorities to respond in this context. The chapter then explores the issues of the social and political economy context, and the ways in which this structures responses to care and dependency, and social reproduction. It further discusses the issues of choice and autonomy, reinforcing the idea that choice is inevitably shaped and constrained by the social situatedness and networks of relations.