STATEMENT BY RUTH MASSINGA
GrannyVoter Kick-off Event
Washington, DC - Ellipse
September 12, 2004

On this day, we want to draw attention to the tremendous investments of time, effort and money grandparents make in their grandchildren, whether they live close to them or across the country. The love and devotion grandparents feel for their grandkids is demonstrated their eagerness to be actively involved with them and to contribute in meaningful ways to assure that these children have what they need ,especially the vital relationships they have to have, to be successful today and as adults.

Over the past decade, there has been increased media and public policy attention given to the varied and important roles grandparents play in family life, especially the rising numbers of grandparent headed households. Census data tells us that 4.5 million children are living in grandparent-headed households (that is 6.3% of all U.S. children), a 30% increase of such households between 1990 and 2000. Whether the biological parents are not available because of military obligations, death, incarceration, substance abuse, these children don't come to visit grandma and grandpa - they are home. And the grandparents, especially grandma, is re-reading Brazelton, arranging for teacher's conference, doctor's visits, play dates and music lessons.

Even more dramatic and prevalent is grandparent provided child care. According to he national survey of families and household, close to one-half of all grandparents - that would be 45 million of us - provide routine, day-to-day child care to our grandchildren during their parent's work hours. And while there are more grandmothers who are the full or part time preferred child care provider, a third of grandfathers with young children living near by provide child care as well. Fifty-four percent -more than half - of employed grandparents with young grandchildren (under five) living near by provide child care. Nearby, for this sample, could be as far away as 50 miles!

So, grandparents are vital to our economy. They are needed to support their adult children's part-time and shift work arrangements. And, they are the reliable supporters to help parents enjoy leisure and social activities during non-work time. Of course, as grandparents are younger, healthier and more engaged in a variety of activities themselves, they make time to develop and promote relationships with all the family members in order to create and continue traditions, pass on family history and values, and make sure both generations - their children(the parents) and the grandchildren are hooked into the invaluable civic, religious and social networks that reinforce and strengthen family life, as well as the connections that will pave the way for individual successes. But you know, as one of my work colleagues who is the frequent weekend babysitter for her two little granddaughters says with delight, "they are so much fun - I have such a good time."

And even if the distance between family units is 3000 miles away, as is true for me and millions of other grandparents , grandchildren hold big chunks of the daily mind share of grandparents as we worry about things ranging from the "right" school clothes worn to the "right school".

For all these grandparents - affluent or poor, of all races and beliefs - the worries about picking up milk today are in close competition with worries about making sure the world our grandchildren will grow up in provides the same, or greater, opportunities for solid and rewarding work and dependable healthcare for all. As we dream of family vacations to places around the globe were we have been welcomed, we want our grandchildren to be as welcomed as we were as young adults, to study and play without fear of hostility, arising from the policies our government initiated today. As we set up college plans for our grandchildren, we are concerned that the national debt may eat away the value of our savings and their future earnings if it is not reduced and controlled.

That is why, because of the tremendous investments grandparents are making and will continue to make day in and day out for their children and grandchildren, we are resolved to continue to press those who want our votes to discuss their plans for the nation in the future tense - twenty years into the future - in order for us to cast responsible votes for our grandchildren.

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