Feeding Infants: What Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Need to Know
by Irv Katz, senior fellow at Generations United
Is taking care of a baby after a gap of 10 or more years like riding a bike? When Generations United surveyed grandparents raising grandchildren, their responses were yes…and no. Yes, because raising a grandchild, niece or nephew is a labor of love. No, because it’s complicated, especially since raising children again is not in the life plan of someone moving towards retirement or those already there.
That complication gets compounded when it comes to caring for an infant. Consider the feedings — what kind of formula should be used, where to get it, how to afford it, how to make sure it is safe and nutritious. A grandmother raising her grandson puts it this way: “I was surprised by how much nutrition education had changed. This baby stayed on formula much longer than I remembered. It seems like forever before he was allowed to eat solid food.”
There are some 7.9 million children in the U.S. living with a relative other than a parent. That number includes an estimated 2.6 million grandparents who report they are responsible for raising their grandchildren. Generations United — in partnership with the Infant Nutrition Council of America (INCA) — evaluated results from a recent INCA survey to understand what grandfamilies (aka grandparents and other relatives raising children) need to know about feeding infants in their care.
Here are some key findings of the infant feeding study that relates to families where grandparents and other “kin” (siblings, aunts, uncles) raise children of relatives:
- Caregivers turn to health professionals and government for information on infant feeding.
- Caregivers believe that government should provide easy-to-understand, science-based information and resources that go beyond breastfeeding.
- A pediatrician, WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), family and government websites, like those of CDC or HHS, are among the most sought-after sources for information on feeding infants.
- Some of the most valued sources of information are available to birth mothers, but not as readily to other caregivers (e.g., the mother’s OB/GYN, a lactation consultant, a doula).
- Recommendations and policies regarding the value of breastfeeding need to consider situations where breastfeeding is not an option.
- Infant nutrition recommendations should be clear that certain alternative methods, such as homemade infant formula, are not a safe option when it comes to feeding a child.
There are complicating factors for grandfamilies. Money is often in short supply in the household, as some grandparents make financial sacrifices to raise children, and an estimated 20% have incomes below the poverty level. Limited income, in turn, may limit access to health care for infants. Fortunately, some grandparents find the WIC program as a source of information and vouchers for infant formula but there are often other needs as well.
Grandfamilies report having difficulty finding the services and supports they need to care for infants and other children. Some are getting help from Kinship Navigator program emerging across the U.S., thanks to new federal investments resulting from the recently passed Family First Prevention Services Act. These programs are intended to help “kin raising kin” navigate the complex service systems in their communities, but many grandparent and other relative caregivers are unaware of such programs in their state or community. Information about how to access local kinship navigators or related programs is available at www.grandfactsheets.org.
Here are other ways grandparents and other relatives raising children can access additional supports and services:
- Connect with agencies focused on grandfamilies, locally and nationally. Some, if not all will have information or links to resources on care for infants as well as other issues related to raising children. Visit www.grandfactsheets.org.
- If you think the children will qualify or you are not certain, seek out the WIC program in your community. (Go to https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic or contact the county office of human services).
- Join with other grandparents raising grandchildren to communicate with key federal and state agencies the importance of having an easy-to-understand website for information on infant care and feeding. Ask around among other grandparents and relatives raising children in your area to find out if there is a local network of grandparents and relatives raising children and visit the National Center on Grandfamilies onsite: https://www.grandfamilies.org/Resources/GrAND.
- Communicate with other grandfamilies, and any grandfamily and kinship care networks to make sure that policymakers understand the importance of formula as well as breastfeeding and the unique circumstances of grandparents and other kin raising children. (See networking suggestions above.)
Joining with other grandparents and relatives raising children is one of the most valuable things an individual or family in these kinds of situations can do. Generations United recommends searching for the nearest Grandfamilies network or starting one. There are many ways in which people in such networks can support one another. In terms of feeding infants, and really any number of issues faced by grandfamilies, there are opportunities to “learn the ropes” from those who already know them. The value of grandparents and other relatives who are raising infants and children listening to and supporting one another is immeasurable!
Other important resources include:
· https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/infantandtoddlernutrition/index.html
· https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic
