When Grandparents Become Parents Again

A grandparent and grandchild playing a game together.

For a growing number of grandparents in Massachusetts, retirement plans have quietly shifted back to packed lunches, homework help, and pediatrician appointments. They’ve taken on a role they may never have expected to revisit – raising a child. Becoming a parent again later in life can bring plenty of joy, but it can also come with new responsibilities, questions, and challenges.

You May Hear the Term “Kinship Caregiver”

If you’re raising your grandchild, you may hear yourself described as a kinship caregiver. It simply refers to a grandparent; sometimes an aunt, uncle, older sibling, or other family member who has taken on primary responsibility for raising a child. Some have legal custody or guardianship, while others care for a child through an informal family arrangement. Whatever the arrangement looks like, understanding your role and knowing what resources are available can make navigating it a little easier.

The Reality of It All

Raising a child again can bring some unexpected challenges. Grandparents may be managing their own health needs, living on a fixed income, or adjusting to responsibilities they thought were behind them. At the same time, they’re juggling school schedules, medical appointments, day-to-day expenses, and a child’s emotional needs.

And then come the questions. Can you enroll your grandchild in school? Who can consent to medical care? Do you need legal guardianship? Is financial assistance available? Does your grandchild qualify for MassHealth and other benefits? The answers aren’t always obvious, and they can depend on a family’s circumstances. Fortunately, there are resources in Massachusetts that can help.

What Can Help

Know your options. Whether you have legal guardianship or are caring for your grandchild through an informal family arrangement, it’s helpful to understand what you can do and when you may need additional legal authority.
Ask about financial assistance. Grandparents raising grandchildren may qualify for help with food, health coverage, cash assistance, childcare, and other expenses. Don’t assume you won’t qualify without checking.
Talk with your grandchild’s school and health care providers. Let them know about your caregiving arrangement and ask what documentation you may need. Massachusetts also has a Caregiver Authorization Affidavit that, in certain circumstances, allows a caregiver to make educational and medical decisions for a child without a court order.
Make room for complicated emotions. Taking on this new role can be a big adjustment for everyone. Children may be dealing with changes or uncertainty in their lives, while grandparents are adapting to parenting again. Having people to talk with can help.
Find people who understand. Connecting with other grandparents who are raising grandchildren can provide practical advice, encouragement, and a place to talk openly with people facing many of the same day-to-day challenges.

Massachusetts and Boston Resources

Massachusetts Kinship Navigator
A good place to start if you’re not sure where to turn. This free statewide program helps grandparents and other relative caregivers connect with financial benefits, legal resources, support groups, childcare, food assistance, and other services.

Call: 1-844-924-4KIN (4546)
Learn more: mass.gov/kinship-navigator

The Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren connects grandparents and kinship caregivers with support groups, resources, information, and services across the Commonwealth.

Learn more: https://massgrg.com/

Financial Assistance through DTA
The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) administers programs including TAFDC cash assistance and SNAP food assistance. Grandparents and other relatives raising children should ask specifically about assistance available to relative caregivers and the children in their care.

Learn more: mass.gov/dta

Greater Boston Legal Services
Questions about custody, guardianship, benefits, or your rights as a caregiver can get complicated quickly. Greater Boston Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income residents of Boston and surrounding communities.

Call: 617-371-1234
Learn more: gbls.org

MassHealth
Your grandchild may be eligible for health coverage through MassHealth. Eligibility depends on your family’s individual circumstances.

Learn more: mass.gov/masshealth

Planning for a Grandchild with a Disability

If you’re raising a grandchild with a disability, you may also be thinking further ahead. How will you provide for them in the future? Could an inheritance or financial gift affect their eligibility for public benefits?

PLAN of Massachusetts and Rhode Island is a nonprofit organization specializing in special needs trusts. A special needs trust can allow assets to be set aside for a person with a disability while helping preserve eligibility for certain needs-based public benefits. Grandparents can establish or contribute to certain types of special needs trusts for a grandchild.

Call: 617-244-5552
Learn more: planofma-ri.org

And Don’t Forget Support for You

Boston Senior Home Care offers support groups specifically for grandparents and other kinship caregivers. These groups provide a welcoming place to connect with others who understand the experience of raising a grandchild, share what you’re going through, and learn about resources that may help.

Ongoing Support Groups

In-person support: 90 Bickford St, Jamaica Plain 02130. Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. | 10-12PM EST
Virtual support: Every other Tuesday. Contact us for more information. | 6-8:30PM EST

To learn more or sign up for an upcoming group, contact Boston Senior Home Care at [email protected].

Raising a grandchild may not have been part of the plan. You don’t have to figure out every part of it on your own. Help — and people who understand — are closer than you might think.