“Grandparents Day was the brainchild of Marian McQuade of Fayette County, W.Va., who hoped that such an observance might persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage of their grandparents. The first presidential proclamation was issued in 1978, and one has been issued each year since — designating the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. In honor of our nation’s grandparents, the Census Bureau presents an array of data about these unsung role models and caregivers.”
- About 56 million — Number of grandparents in the United States.
- 5.7 million — The number of grandparents whose grandchildren under 18 live with them.
- 2.4 million — The number of grandparents responsible for most of the basic needs (i.e., food, shelter, clothing) of one or more of the grandchildren who live with them. These grandparents represent about 42 percent of all grandparents whose grandchildren live with them. Of these caregivers, 1.5 million are grandmothers and 880,000 are grandfathers.
- 920,000 — Number of grandparents responsible for caring for their grandchildren for at least the last five years.
- 28% — Among preschoolers with employed mothers, the percentage regularly cared for by their grandparent during the hours their mom spends employed outside the home. No other type of child care arrangement was more prevalent than by grandparents.
- 6.1 million — The number of children living with a grandparent; these children comprise 8 percent of all children in the United States. Of these children, 4.1 million lived in a grandparent’s home and 1.9 million in a parent’s home.
- Recent research by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) reveals that more than 80 percent of the nation’s grandparents had visited or spoken with their grandchildren by phone in the past month.
- About 3 million — Number of Grandparents Day cards given, nationwide, each year.