According to Generations United report
dated October 16, 2025

Grandparents and other relatives raising children save taxpayers more than $10.5 billion every year by keeping the children out of foster care, but they do it at great personal cost.

About 2.5 million children across the United States are being raised in grandfamilies—families in which grandparents, other adult relatives, or close family friends care for children without their parents in the home. These families are also known as kinship families.

‍ ‍https://www.gureport.org/2025-report

PDF

https://www.gu.org/app/uploads/2025/10/SOGFK-2025-Update-Final.pdf

The report highlights the critical role these caregivers play in supporting children, families, and our nation’s child welfare system, as well as the challenges they face in doing so. The report finds that:

  • Grandfamilies save the government $10.5 billion annuallyby keeping children safely with family and out of foster care.

  • Despite this essential contribution, caregivers often step in with little warning, limited resources, and minimal support, sacrificing retirement savings, financial stability, and sometimes their own health.

  • Children in kinship care benefit most when families receive targeted support—financial assistance, mental health services, legal guidance, and other tailored resources—which helps children thrive and reduces the likelihood they will enter foster care.

Kinship and grandfamilies face systemic challenges that impact both children and caregivers, including:

  • Accessing financial, legal, and health care resources

  • Navigating complex behavioral and mental health needs

  • Obtaining respite and social supports for caregivers

  • Understanding and accessing benefits available through formal kinship foster care

While caregivers demonstrate remarkable strength and dedication, their needs are too often overlooked. Our report emphasizes that investing in supports for grandfamilies not only strengthens children’s well-being and stability but also benefits communities and the broader community.

💛 Grand60 Miracle exists to give these families a voice, increase awareness, and connect caregivers to support.

What we all need right now is a one-stop Directory to help grandparents raising grandchildren and kinship caregivers (grandfamilies) find the help and resources they need — all in one place, instead of searching hundreds of different places or giving up!

And the best part? It’s completely free to use!