Grandparents face legal, financial, emotional challenges with new role

Though grandparents serving as parents to their grandchildren is not a new trend, current statistics are startling. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, more than 56,000 grandparents in Alabama are responsible for meeting the basic needs of their grandchildren. Nationally 8.3 percent of all children under the age of 18 are living in grandparent- or other relative-maintained households. In Alabama,…