Co-resident Grandparents and Their Grandchildren

 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1970, 2.2 million or 3.2 percent of American children lived in a household maintained by a grandparent. By 1997, this number had risen to 3.9 million or 5.5 percent, representing a 76 percent increase over the 27 year period (Lugaila forthcoming). Substantial increases occurred among all types of households maintained by grandparents regardless of the presence or absence of the grandchildren's parents, but were the greatest among children with only one parent in the household (Figure 1). The number of grandchildren living in households maintained by grandparents with just their mothers present increased by 118 percent from 1970 to 1997,

Resource: 

Casper, L., & Bryson, K. (1998) Co-resident Grandparents and Their Grandchildren: Grandparent Maintained Families. Retrieved on Feb. 26, 2013. from the Census.gov website:  http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0026/twps0026.html