Grandparents are as a group about 1/3rd of all adults in America. They contribute in extraordinary proportions to their grandkid’s well being.
A few examples according to AARP are:
1. More than half of grandparents help with their grandchildren’s educational expenses.
2. Almost half of grandparents help with their grandchildren’s living expenses.
3. One fourth of all grandparents help pay for medical or dental care for their grandchildren.
4. More than half of all grandparents believe they play a very important role in their grandchildren’s lives.
This adds up to an enormous positive impact on our grandchildren, and as I learn more about what rights grandparents have if something happens to our grandchild’s family unit I am alarmed.
I am not sure why but the founding fathers didn’t include us in the constitution and/or the Supreme Court of most states. The United States Supreme Court doesn’t seem to recognize and support the contribution and significant effect that the grandchild’s bond with the grandparent has on the children.
From what I can gather, it seems that there is no continuity of legal president state to state. The laws that do exist are thin and ineffective where it concerns grandparents rights.
If that doesn’t get your attention, how about this? The most recent Supreme Court ruling in 2007 places the burden on the “Third Party” (we are to assume that means grandparents since they were the plaintiffs) to prove that the child will be harmed if they don’t get to see their grandparents.
It is my hope that as you read this that you have the good fortune, as I do, of being blessed with meaningful and fun time with your grandkids. I can’t imagine the nightmare it would be to have this relationship ripped away from me because of the actions of someone else.
What are we to do? One important step is to be aware of what our grandparents rights really are. Resources like The Custody Center are there to fill in this information for us and help us make good decisions as grandparents.
I want you to celebrate the fact grandparents in this country are making this a better world for those most deserving young people we call grandchildren. Pat yourself on the back. But at the same time, be aware of your grandparents rights, what little there are.
NEIL
