Karen Glaser, Debora Price, Eloi Ribe Montserrat, Giorgio di Gessa and Anthea TinkerKing’s College London

Outl ine of presentation

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The research study:1. Funder and timescale2. The objective of the research3. The research questions 4. Findings

a) Grandparent characteristicsb) Living arrangementsc) Policyd) Multivariate analysis

1. The research study – funder and timescale

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Supported by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation through Grandparents Plus and the Beth Johnson Foundation

Start April 2011/October 2011 – March 2013

Preliminary Findings Briefing June 2012

Final Report May 2013

2. The objective of the research

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To investigate variations across Europe in the diversity of grandparents, how grandparents contribute to childcare, and how policies are related to patterns of grandparenting.

3. The research questions

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1. How do the living arrangements of grandparents vary across European countries and how have they changed over time?

2. How do the characteristics of grandparents vary across 12 European states in terms of age, number of grandchildren, marital status, socio-economic status, participation in paid work, and well-being?

3. The research questions

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3. How does the level of involvement of grandparents with their grandchildren vary across Europe in terms of care? What characteristics of grandparents help to explain the diversity of care arrangements?

4. How do family policies interact with gender, family, care and labour market cultures and structures to shape the levels of involvement of grandparents with their grandchildren?

4a. Findings Grandparent Characteristics

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How do the characteristics of grandparents vary across12 European countries? (e.g. age, number of grandchildren, marital status, socio-economic status, participation in paid work, and well-being)

Data SourcesELSA (England) and SHARE – Austria,

Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Greece, Switzerland and Belgium.

Both surveys are based on people aged 50 and over are comparable.

% of older adults who are grandparents: 12 European States

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Source: SHARE, 2004/05; ELSA, 2002/03; own calculations. Weighted data.

Age profi le grandparentsConsiderable variation in % grandparents

who are of working age (i.e. 50-64 age group).

England relatively high percentage (41%) as France and the Scandinavian countries (e.g. Denmark 50%)

Southern European countries only one third.

Mean number of grandchildren

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•English grandparents also have more grandchildren than their European counterparts, with an average of nearly five (4.9) compared with an average across the other 11 countries of 4.2.

Source: SHARE, 2004/05; ELSA, 2002/03; own calculations. Weighted data.

% grandparents with at least one grandchild aged 0-2

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•Dutch grandparents most likely have grandchild < 3 followed by French, Danish and Swedish.

Source: SHARE, 2004/05; own calculations. Weighted data.

% grandparents in paid work

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Source: SHARE, 2004/05; ELSA, 2002/03; own calculations. Weighted data.

4b. Living Arrangements

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Examine changes in living arrangements between grandparents and grandchildren over time (with or without the parents being present) in England & Wales, France, Germany, Portugal and Romania.

What do we not know

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Lack evidence about trends and nature of grandparent households in Europe

Evidence from the UK suggests grandparents form largest group among family and friends awarded kinship care of children.

Data Sources

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Trends in prevalence of grandparent households

Multivariate analysis to investigate how grandparent households vary across selected European countries and U.S.

Integrated Public Use Microdata Series International (IPUMS), the ONS Longitudinal Study for England & Wales, and the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP).

Skipped-generation grandparent households

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The Findings

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Increase in prevalence over time in skipped-generation households in England & Wales (as in U.S.)

Skipped-generation households much more likely to have older grandchild – raised by grandparents?

England & Wales and US only countries where in skipped-generation households see increase in % households with youngest grandchild 0-5 (thus decrease in % households with 18+).

4c. Research Question

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To what extent are national patterns in the demography of (non-co-residential) grandparental care influenced by family policy at national level?

What difference does the nation state make? What is it about the nation state that makes a

difference?Focus on intensive grandmaternal care

Method

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Select indicators Tabulate across ten countries [cross-sectional, 2008 data,

various sources: Eurostat, OECD, GGS, SHARE, EVS, Eurobarometer, National and International web sources (statistical and departmental agencies)]

Qualitative (theory driven) analysis of associations with grandparental care, using a constant comparative methodNote: outcome variable of grandparental care from various

sources, 2004 – 2008 [but these kinds of national patterns change very slowly]

Select indicators to test with multi-level, multivariate modelDenmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, France, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Hungary, Romania

Indicators

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GRANDPARENTAL CHILDCAREGRANDPARENTAL CHILDCARE

Metadata

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Will be published as a web resource (2013)Compares eleven widely differing European countries on

over 100 indicators at a single point in time [2008]Each country has three Excel ‘books’, one for each set of

indicators (policy, family & gender, labour force)+ Tables of cross-eleven-country analyses

Summaries of policies will be in the report, and some comparative tables

Grandparenting policy regimes

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No assumption of grandparental care(Denmark, Sweden and to a lesser extent France)

Grandparental care is assumed (explicit or implicit): (Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain)

State policies are neutral(Germany, Netherlands, UK)

But policy matrix is not the only factor

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Source: SHARE 2004; Eurostat LFS 2011

In countries where more mothers are out of work, grandmothers play a greater role in looking after grandchildren intensively.

Childcare is really challenging for those mothers who do work in these countries.

In countries where more mothers are out of work, grandmothers play a greater role in looking after grandchildren intensively.

Childcare is really challenging for those mothers who do work in these countries.

Note: No relationship between proportion of mothers working full time and grandparental care, whether daily, weekly or at all

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In countries where it is more common for mid-life women not to be in paid work, more grandmothers care for their grandchildren intensively

There is a tension between women in their 50s and 60s being in paid work, and their being available to look after their grandchildren (enabling their adult daughters to work)

In countries where it is more common for mid-life women not to be in paid work, more grandmothers care for their grandchildren intensively

There is a tension between women in their 50s and 60s being in paid work, and their being available to look after their grandchildren (enabling their adult daughters to work)

Source: SHARE 2004; OECD 2011

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Source: SHARE 2004; EVS 2008

In countries where more of the population believes that a pre-school child suffers with a working mother, more grandmothers provide intensive childcare for their grandchildren

In these countries, it is more socially acceptable/accepted/trusted for grandmothers to care when mothers work, than for formal childcare services.

In countries where more of the population believes that a pre-school child suffers with a working mother, more grandmothers provide intensive childcare for their grandchildren

In these countries, it is more socially acceptable/accepted/trusted for grandmothers to care when mothers work, than for formal childcare services.

Children aged 0-2%

Children in formal

care

% of all children in childcare who are

30+ hours

Total % of children in

formal care in 30+ hours (1)

Gross cost on average

as % average wage

Formal entitlement

Regional variation

Satisfaction public

support for families

Denmark 73 65 47 8.4 Yes Low 68.7

Sweden 49 31 15 4.5 Yes Low 64.4

Portugal 33 31 10 27.8 No High 11.5

France 40 23 9 25.1 No Low 49

Spain 39 16 6 30.3 No High 19

Italy 27 16 4 : No High 22

Netherlands 47 6 3 17.5 No Low 48

Germany 19 9 2 9.1 No High 37

UK 35 4 1 24.7 No High 62.4

Hungary 7 5 0.4 4.2 Yes : 22.5

Romania 8 2 0.2 : No High 34

In countries where there is more use of formal childcare, especially long hours childcare, formal entitlements to childcare especially for children aged -0 – 2, the cost is low, there is low regional variation and high public satisfaction with public support for families, grandmothers play less of a role in providing intensive childcare.

These are complex interactions. If you only look at one or two columns, you miss the wider picture.

In countries where there is more use of formal childcare, especially long hours childcare, formal entitlements to childcare especially for children aged -0 – 2, the cost is low, there is low regional variation and high public satisfaction with public support for families, grandmothers play less of a role in providing intensive childcare.

These are complex interactions. If you only look at one or two columns, you miss the wider picture.

Country

% pre-school children suffer with working

mother

% mothers aged 25-49 not in paid

work

% children <3 in formal

care

% women 50-64 in

paid work

England 5 31 35 58Denmark 2 15 73 62Sweden 4 17 49 72

The Netherlands 7 21 47 53Germany 17 29 19 56

France 13 25 40 50Austria 26 25 29 47Belgium 11 25 35 39

Spain 11 37 39 40Italy 13 44 27 35

Greece 27 40 25 36

Source: OECD 2011, Eurostat (EU-SILC) 2011, European Values Survey Wave 4.

Country- level factors to be included in mult i - level analysis

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4d. Policy & grandparent childcare

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Testing policy model empirically with data about intensity and frequency of grandparental involvement with grandchildren.

Focus on intensive of grandparent childcare

Intensive childcare

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% Mean England (ELSA) 6 30.0 Denmark 3 29.6 Sweden 4 31.2

The Netherlands 8 29.4 Germany 11 24.7

France 10 31.1Austria 12 28.3Belgium 16 29.4

Spain 18 30.4 Italy 24 26.6

Greece 24 33.7 Tot SHARE 13 29.3

The outcome is provision of intensive childcare by grandparents

Findings - Multivariate

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You need both an understanding of demographic, policy, cultural-structural factors to explain variations in national patterns of grandparent childcare.

E.g. More women aged 50 to 64 in paid work, less intensive grandparent childcare.

E.g. More children 0-2 in formal care, less intensive grandparent care.

In countries (e.g. Italy, Portugal, Spain) women working full-time rely heavily on family care and on grandparent childcare in particular (as there is little formal childcare)

Overall Project Aim:

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Theoretical development of understanding intergenerational relations in the realm of grandparental care;

Inform understanding of the relevance of policy and demography in understanding the structure of grandparenting;

Grandparents Plus: Evidence based campaigning for recognition and support of the role grandparents play in children’s lives, especially when they take on the caring role in difficult family circumstances

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Thank you for your attention