Poster #64 - Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Grandparents raising Grandchildren in an Underresourced Community.

• In Event: Poster Session 01

Abstract

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic came with the fear of infecting others, stay-at-home orders, economic hardship due to loss of job, school closure, adjusting to virtual schooling, and changes in communal and individual mundane activities. These changes brought about psychological and emotional shifts leading to some level of stress (Xu, Y et al., 2020). Many grandparents-headed families faced further hardship with limited access to food, fear of dying, income, technological adjustment with online schooling, and lack of social and physical activities for their grandchildren (Simmons, 2020). Thus, this research seeks to investigate how grandparents in an underresourced city with over 60,000 population in the northern suburb of a Midwestern state who are raising their grandchildren fared during Covid. This research answers the question,
How did Covid impact the role of grandparents raising their grandchildren, and what is their experience?
Method: Five African American grandmothers of varying age groups living in the city were contacted through emails and phone calls (see Table 1). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted using Zoom. Transcripts generated from Zoom were checked for accuracy and were manually coded using the inductive method of content analysis. While coding, the responses from the interviews were examined within the context of grandmothers' experiences during Covid. The study was conducted as a part of a larger university-city research partnership. The research included a graduate student in Early Childhood Education, working in partnership with the City’s Chamber of Commerce.
Findings: Three themes emerged: 1) Covid stress and fears, 2) Adjusting to virtual schooling, and 3) Community needs (see Table 2).
Covid stress and fears. All grandmothers expressed fear of contracting the virus, and many seemed aware of the higher risk of death for older individuals. This was especially a pertinent concern, as most took care of multiple grandchildren, and were often the sole caregiver to them.
Adjusting to virtual schooling. Many grandmothers reported interest in ensuring their grandchildren receive a good education. Consequently, they often expressed dissatisfaction with virtual schools as not being effective. While technology was often challenging, they also experienced some level of support from older grandchildren and their schools.
Community needs. Many grandmothers were also concerned about the holistic well-being of their grandchildren, not just academics. While the community came together during Covid, grandmothers expressed that more recreational centers in the community will make it more habitable for their grandchildren now and post Covid.
Discussion/Implication: The study adds to the little existing literature on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on grandparents. While parenting became increasingly stressful during the pandemic, many grandparents experienced the added stress of old age and health. Many grandparents also faced challenges with technology, and hence felt especially vulnerable when schooling went virtual. This study is a part of ongoing university-community partnerships. Our findings will bring forward recommendations for the field, which centers on the often neglected voices of grandparents raising grandchildren.

Authors

• Afeez Akanji Abdulrasak, Oakland University
  Presenting Author

• Tomoko Wakabayashi, Oakland University

• Katie Sloan, Central Michigan University