Grandparents as parents are becoming common in our culture, but we as a society do not understand how fast this phenomenom is growing, how many issues are involved, or how they impact the family as a whole. Situations where grandparents have informal custody remain grossly underreported. Custody battles, housing issues, prior mistreatment of the children, and the failure of social service systems to protect children - these are just a few of the challengs facing m0st caregiving grandparents.
This is a hopeful book. In it, are stories of families who have weathered the severest of storms and emerged perhaps not unscathed, but certainly unbowed and ready to help others. The stories the grandparents and grandchildren tell are the vivid tales of families in flux and turmoil. They offer a window on life-and-death struggles - stories of abuse, addiction, and abandonment; stories of healing, redemption and rescue; stories that need to be heard. As we accompany them on their journeys, we realize that with the merest flicker of fortune, their paths could be our paths as well.
I wrote this book not only for parenting grandparents, but for all families, for all women raising children. In it, are rich, heartwrending stories of families touched by substance abuse, turmoil, domestic violence and many other harrrowing challenges faced by families every day. Stories that will touch your heart.