Grandparents who want to pursue grandparents custody

Over the last two decades the numbers of children being raised by their grandparents has increased dramatically. Reasons for grandparents increasing their roles to become parents include things as diverse as parents being incarcerated, drug and alcohol abuse, divorec and abandonment and mental health issues, among others.

Grandparents are keeping families together and serving as a safety net to keep children out of the formal foster care system. However, many grandparents face obstacles not encountered by biological parents, like the inability to:

• place the children on their health insurance policies,
• obtain affordable housing in which they can live with the children, and
• enroll the children in school

These matters, however can be fixed if you are informed about your rights. Full custody will give you what you need to make sure your grandchild’s life continues in a normal fashion.

Unfortunately, despite their clear positive influence on their grandchildren, grandparents are not granted their grandparents rights of custody automatically, even in the most desperate circumstances. To get custody of your grandchildren you must learn about the laws of your state and petition the court.

This may mean you have to obtain an attorney, and it certainly means you have to be informed.

My book No Greater Loss is a resource which deals with grandparents custody and its related issues. Any grandparent thinking of attempting full custody of their grandchildren should get a copy and make sure you are well-versed in the issues involved.