As families across the country grapple with rising costs, childcare challenges and economic uncertainty, grandparents are increasingly stepping in to help. An AARP survey finds that Latino grandparents are especially likely to provide care, financial assistance and cultural support, highlighting the essential role they play in strengthening multigenerational households. Speaking on LNN Spotlight, Christina Fitzpatrick, State Director of AARP New Hampshire, described grandparents as “America’s quiet safety net.”
Drawing from a comprehensive AARP survey of nearly 3,300 grandparents, Fitzpatrick said grandparents provide critical support through caregiving, financial assistance and intergenerational connections.
“They provide care, connections, support, and intergenerational learnings,” Fitzpatrick said. “They contribute over $172 billion in direct financial support to grandchildren each year. And they also provide an estimated $731 billion in unpaid care of grandchildren.”
Half of adults aged 50 and older are grandparents, according to the study. When asked about their biggest concerns for their grandchildren, many pointed to affordability and the cost of living, along with gun violence, educational quality and economic instability. Fitzpatrick noted that 45% of grandparents identified affordability and the cost of living as a top worry.
The survey also found that grandparents are actively helping families navigate these challenges. Ninety percent provide financial support, spending an average of $2,600 annually on their grandchildren to help cover essentials, unexpected expenses or future savings goals such as college and homeownership.
Grandparents are also significant caregivers. Seventy percent provide some level of care, averaging more than 500 hours each year. Fitzpatrick said that amount of caregiving is “the equivalent of 12 and a half weeks of full-time work taking care of their grandchildren each year.” Roughly 10% of grandparents serve as their grandchildren’s primary caregiver.
Among Hispanic and Latino families, the study found even higher levels of involvement. Eighty-seven percent of Latino grandparents provide care for their grandchildren, compared to 70% of grandparents overall.
Latino grandparents also tend to be younger. The average Latino grandparent is 62 years old, compared to 68 among the general grandparent population, and they typically become grandparents at age 48 rather than 50. In addition, 37% of Latino grandparents are currently employed, compared to 26% of grandparents overall.
The survey highlighted the joy many Latino grandparents find in their role. “Forty-eight percent of Latino grandparents describe their relationship with their grandkids in terms of all-encompassing joy, compared with 36% of the general population of grandparents,” Fitzpatrick said.
The research also underscored the cultural and linguistic connections grandparents help maintain. Nearly two-thirds of Latino grandparents were born outside the United States and speak Spanish at home, while about 70% of their grandchildren primarily speak English. As a result, many see themselves as key to preserving cultural traditions, strengthening ties to their countries of origin and passing family values to younger generations.
To better support grandparents, especially those providing significant caregiving, Fitzpatrick pointed to several policy and workplace improvements. These include greater workplace flexibility through options such as flexible schedules and paid sick leave, employee support groups for family caregivers, streamlined legal processes for grandparents serving as primary caregivers, equitable financial assistance for kinship caregivers, and protections that strengthen Social Security benefits.
For more information about the report and caregiver resources, Fitzpatrick encouraged families to visit aarp.org/nh.
AARP New Hampshire and New Hampshire Latino News are partners in providing greater visibility and voice to local Hispanic-Latino communities.