This was determined by a "Yes" answer to the question, "Does this person have any of his/her own grandchildren under the age of 18 living in this house or apartment?" This question was asked of people 15 years of age and over. Because of the low numbers of persons under 30 years old living with their grandchildren, data were only tabulated for people 30 and over.

This question determines if the grandparent is financially responsible for food, shelter, clothing, day care, etc., for any or all grandchildren living in the household. In selected tabulations, grandparent responsibility is further classified by presence of parent (of the grandchild).

The answer refers to the grandchild for whom the grandparent has been responsible for the longest period of time. Duration categories ranged from less than 6 months to 5 or more years.

Question/Concept History

This set of questions was added to the American Community Survey in 1999 to comply with legislation passed in the 104th Congress requiring that the decennial census program obtain information about grandparents who have primary responsibility for the care of their grandchildren.
The response categories for length of time caring for grandchildren were modified slightly between the 1999 and 2000 American Community Survey questionnaires to match the 2000 decennial census questionnaire. The question has remained unchanged since then.
Limitation of the Data - Before 2006, ACS grandparents data had a universe of people in households (which was the same as that in Census 2000). Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) was included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations may have grandparents as caregivers distributions that are different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the grandparents as caregivers distribution. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.

Comparability

The data on grandparents as caregivers can be compared to previous ACS years and Census 2000 (with the potential limitation noted above about areas with a substantial GQ population).

Includes respondents who indicate their race as "Native Hawaiian" or report entries such as Part Hawaiian or Hawaiian.

Includes respondents who indicate their race as "Samoan" or report entries such as American Samoan or Western Samoan.

Includes respondents who report entries such as Tongan or Tonga.

Includes respondents who provide a response of another Polynesian group, such as Tahitian, Tokelauan, or wrote in a generic term such as "Polynesian."

Includes respondents who indicate their race as "Guamanian or Chamorro" or report entries such as Chamorro or Guam.

Includes respondents who report entries such as Marshallese or Marshall Island.

Includes respondents who provide a response of another Micronesian group, such as Carolinian, Chuukese, I-Kiribati, Kosraean, Mariana Islander, Palauan, Pohnpeian, Saipanese, Yapese, or wrote in a generic term such as "Micronesian."

Includes respondents who report entries such as Fijian or Fiji.

Includes respondents who provide a response of another Melanesian group, such as Papua New Guinean, Ni-Vanuatu (New Hebrides Islander), Solomon Islander, or wrote in a generic term such as "Melanesian."

Includes respondents who checked the Other Pacific Islander response category on the ACS questionnaire and did not write in a specific group or wrote in a generic term such as "Pacific Islander."

Includes respondents who provide multiple Pacific Islander responses such as Native Hawaiian and Guamanian or Chamorro; or Tokelauan and Tongan.