Grandparents and Adoption
Grandparents and grandchildren often share a special bond. Grandparents are often informal teachers, caretakers, role models, and
mentors. Grandparents carry the history of the family and provide an important
link to their grandchildren’s family tree.
The number of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren
is increasing every year. In 1998, almost 8 percent of all children were living
in homes with a grandparent. About one-third of that figure describes a home
where no adult other than the grandparent or relative caregiver was present
with the child(ren). Additionally, the above-mentioned children only reflect
those who were tracked through individual state agencies and were in the system.
Eighty percent of all relative caregivers are grandparents. Nationwide, census
data indicates the number of children being raised by grandparents increased
by 73.8 percent between 1990 and 2000, with 1 in 10 grandparents having been
the primary supporter for a grandchild at some time in their life.
The adoption process for grandparents is the same for any other person that
is interested in adoption. Grandparents are blood relatives and that helps
the case for adoption, but they will still have to go through the formal home
study and adoption process in order to adopt their grandchild(ren). (Please
see our information on home studies under adoptive parents for further information).
Grandparent Rights
Although grandparents are becoming more involved with raising their
grandchildren, many grandparents have been forced to give up their relationships
with their grandchildren. These grandparents may have lost their son or daughter
to death or perhaps their child divorced, severing the grandparent/grandchild
relationship. If the surviving or divorced spouse decides to remarry, it can
make for a tenuous relationship for existing grandparents.
Many grandparents would like to know if they could petition the court for
visitation rights if the parents refuse visitation. Under Wisconsin Statutes,
grandparents do not have the right to ask for visitation. If the birth parents
lost their rights through the termination of parental rights process, and
their children are adopted by non-relatives, not only do the birth parents
lose rights of access to the child(ren), but so do all members of the birth
parent’s extended family. However, with the continual evolution of laws
regarding grandparent visitation, under some circumstances a grandparent may
pursue access to their grandchild(ren) after a non-relative adoption.
Resources for Grandparents
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Partnership
of Wisconsin
A Statewide Network of individuals, agencies, organizations and professionals
who provide services to or for grandparents raising their grandchildren or
children and their families.
Contact:
Mary Brintnall-Peterson, Ph.D,
Program Specialist in Aging
428 Lowell Hall
610 Langdon St.
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 262-8083
mary.brintnall-peterson@ces.uwex.edu
AARP Grandparent Information Center
Provides a needed link between grandparents and the resources that can help
them care for their grandchildren. The center is a national clearinghouse
for information about programs, support groups, research activities and resources
for grandparent headed families.
Contact:
AARP Grandparent Information Center
601 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20049
(202) 434-2296
(202) 434-2281 – Spanish
Grandparents Rights of Wisconsin, Inc. (GROW)
A non-profit advocacy group dedicated to preserving and protecting the bond
between grandparents and grandchildren. Monthly newsletter available. A resource
on laws that affect grandparent visitation.
Contact:
Grandparents Rights of Wisconsin, Inc.
PO Box 341015
Milwaukee, WI 53234
(414 ) 535-1218
Grandparents United for Children’s Rights,
Inc. (GURC)
Provides current information on subjects relevant to grandparents throughout
the country. GUCR is a national non-profit membership agency providing support
services, information referral, networking capabilities and state of the art
legislative information.
Contact:
Grandparents United for Children’s Rights, Inc.
Ethel Dunn, Executive Director
137 Larkin St.
Madison, WI 53705-5115
(608) 238-8751
(608) 236-9480
