Strengths and Needs of African American and European American Grandmothers in the Working and Middle Classes

This study examined the strengths and needs of 82 African American and 179 European American grandmothers from working- and middle-class backgrounds in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Survey results revealed that African American grandmothers perceived themselves to be significantly more involved in teaching their grandchildren, but also significantly more likely to need information about various aspects of their grandchildren's lives, than their European American counterparts. Middle-class grandmothers reported significantly less frustration in their grandparenting role than working-class grandmothers. Implications of the findings for the development of grandparent education programs are discussed.