Assessing Attitudes toward Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren

Abstract

This article describes the assessment of attitudes toward grandparent caregivers held by noncaregiving grandparents. Six hundred two grandparents not currently caring for grandchildren completed an 18-item measure of such attitudes. This attitude scale was both internally consistent and multidimensional in nature. Attitudes were more positive for grandparents reporting previous experience caring for a grandchild and such attitudes were in part predicted by one's attitudes toward the current grandparent role, which was also complex in nature. Being able to assess and understand attitudes toward custodial grandparents can contribute to the reduction of others' biases about them and may influence grandparents' future willingness to assume the caregiving role.