Understanding Latino Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Through a Bioecological Lens

Angela Nancy Mendoza, Christine A. Fruhauf, Kimberly Bundy-Fazioli, Joyce Weil - The International Journal of Aging and Human Development

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide a summary of the published research addressing the challenges and strengths of Latino grandparents raising grandchildren in the United States. Using the bioecological framework as a guide to organize and understand the published literature addressing Latino grandparent caregivers, we examined refereed articles published over the past 19 years. This framework provides a lens for understanding and situating research on Latino grandparents raising grandchildren to discover Latino grandparents’ strengths and challenges. The areas of foci include financial challenges, intergenerational relationships, reasons for caregiving, health status, language barriers, and culture. This article concludes with future research opportunities and a call to action for more research on Latino grandparents raising grandchildren.