Campus Location

Abilene Campus (Residential)

Date of Award

5-2020

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Social Work

Degree Name

Master of Science

Committee Chair or Primary Advisor

Alan Lipps

Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor

Stephanie Hamm

Third Committee Member or Committee Reader

Megan Harbin

Abstract

Methodist Children’s Home’s (MCH) GAP Program provides services for grandparents raising their grandchildren. This single case study explores whether the services provided by the GAP Program will reduce the risk factors for grandparents raising their grandchildren while increasing their ability to care for the child in a way that will promote well-being in today’s complex world. The literature shows some challenges for these grandparents include: role ambiguity, limited legal rights, lack of resources, inadequate living arrangements, employment and retirement, health issues, and outdated parenting skills and disciplinary methods. Protective factors for grandparents include: adaptive coping skills, self-care, positive relationships, support, and access to resources. The well-being of the grandchildren can be negatively affected by the level of attention they are receiving from their grandparents, maladaptive behaviors and coping skills, a sense of fear of abandonment and feeling unwanted, as well as a lack of support. Protective factors for these children include strong support systems, stability, feeling loved, and being around family. Being placed with their grandparents can provide felt-safety, improvements in school, as well as positive personality and behavioral characteristics. Successful interventions for this population include in-home services, case management, and group interventions. This single case study supports that the GAP Program has the ability to reduce the stress levels for grandparents and increase the competence in parenting.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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