Empowering Grandparent Caregivers Via In-Person and Virtual Programs

Abstract

Empowerment programs for grandparent caregivers can serve to support and enhance the roles of grandparents in the community and family. Traditionally such programs have been offered in-person, with the leader acting as facilitator. In 2021, in-person programs, first developed in 1998, were transformed into a virtual format, offered via Zoom, to meet COVID-19 challenges. This article discusses how traditional and virtual programs are effective in addressing the concerns of families and the importance of each program modality being made available and accessible to grandparent caregivers.

Key Words

empowerment, roles, challenges, in-person, virtual

The goals of empowerment practice are to help clients achieve a sense of personal power, become more aware of connections between individual and community problems, develop skills, and learn to work collaboratively toward social change (Guitierrez et al., 1998). Among the many definitions of empowerment are the ability to influence the people, organizations, and environment that affect one’s life (Hasenfeld, 1987); gaining, developing, seizing, enabling, or giving power (Staples, 1990); and attaining control over one’s life, including further participation in the community (Katz, 1984).

In the empowerment process, the practitioner does not act as the expert or provider of power to the powerless older person but is instead a co-learner. The role of the group leader is that of a facilitator who recognizes that participants are experts, that they learn best from each other, and that their problems are not unique. The process involves four key elements: 1) attitude, values, and beliefs—developing a sense of self-efficacy, belief in self-worth, and an internal locus of control; 2) validation of collective experiences—recognizing that experiences are shared rather than individual to decrease self-blame; 3) knowledge and skills for critical thinking—learning to think critically about problems and the factors contributing to them; and 4) action—learning to develop action strategies that influence others and work toward goals (Cox & Parsons, 1994).

Strategies to foster empowerment are commonly practiced in groups. Within a group, participants share concerns, learn from one another, and practice specific techniques—for instance, grandparents demonstrated effective ways of listening and responding to children to encourage communication. As participants become comfortable with these techniques, they are encouraged to use them in other settings. Role-playing and the use of videos can help reinforce new behaviors. Through the group, participants acquire information and skills that can assist them in parenting, relationships, and resolving their problems.

All the above concerns directly impact grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and are continually challenged by these roles and their accompanying stresses. Consequently, empowerment training is an important intervention that can increase grandparent caregivers’ abilities, provide information, and strengthen relationships. This article details my experiences in developing and offering in-person and virtual empowerment groups for grandparent caregivers and their outcomes.

Background

In 1998, I developed the Grandparent Empowerment Program, which was followed by Empowering Grandparent Caregivers: A Manual for Group Leaders (Cox, 2000). The program, originally supported for 3 years by a private foundation in New York City, was incorporated into the Grandparent Resource Center (GRC) of the NYC Department for the Aging and continued in this role until July 2023, when the GRC was discontinued, with grandparents being transferred to other caregiving support programs.

The original program was developed in conjunction with the Grandparent Empowerment Movement of the Harlem Interfaith Counseling Service, Inc., of New York City. The program included 14 three-hour classes: Understanding Empowerment, The Importance of Self-Esteem, Communication, Dealing with Behavior Problems, Talking about Sex and Drugs, Dealing with Loss and Grief, Navigating the Service System, Legal and Entitlement Issues, Advocacy, and Making Presentations (some subjects required two classes). All classes were offered in a classroom at Fordham University, a feature that was empowering as it allowed the grandparents to frequently interact with social work students. Also, the university’s Dean visited the first class of each cohort to welcome grandparent students and introduce the program.

Empowerment in the family and in the community was the class focus, with grandparents developing parenting skills as well as advocacy abilities they could use to obtain more needed resources for grandparent-headed families (Cox, 2002). Each participant received the complete curriculum of all class materials, enabling them to study before the class, as well as ensuring continued access to the curriculum.

Classes began with a review of the material for the week and discussion. Grandparents were expected to discuss how they had used a particular approach from the week’s material and its result. For instance, classes on communication concentrated on the importance of listening and responding to the children. The homework was to report on how these skills were used with their grandchildren and the grandchildren’s responses.

Discussions were an integral part of the education as grandparents became comfortable sharing and listening to each other, often benefiting from suggestions from other grandparents. This approach contributed to the group’s development, while also underscoring the role of the group leader as a facilitator rather than a “powerful” authority. In addition, as several grandparents were illiterate or not literate in English, the discussions were an important resource for their learning.

Role-play was frequently used, with participants playing the role of grandchildren interacting with grandparents. Although many were at first reticent, it became a favorite activity and an important part of the empowerment process. The role-plays offered the opportunity to understand grandchildren’s perspectives and their experiences. In some instances, participants assumed the role of service providers, which led to interesting discussions of ways to respond to those perceived as unsupportive of or negative about their concerns. For example, one grandmother reported that the eligibility worker at the human resources office had said, “If you had done a better job with your own children, you would not be here today.” Obviously, this stimulated many comments!

All classes were offered at the university and participants felt integrated into the campus. As one grandparent said, “I only went through third grade and my reading is very limited, and now I am at university!” When they completed the course, their achievement was recognized by a formal graduation at the university with graduates marching to Pomp and Circumstance, speakers, diplomas, and large audiences including family and guests. Grandparents and grandchildren were encouraged to speak at the graduation, too. These short talks were empowering, as participants presented to a large audience about the program and its impact.

Particularly important were spontaneous remarks of grandchildren sharing their experiences of being raised by a grandparent: “If it wasn’t for my grandmother, I would not be here today,” “My grandma is the most important person in my life,” and “If I could give my grandma anything, it would be the whole wide world.” Such statements publicly underscored the importance of the grandparents and increased their sense of empowerment.

Cultural Diversity

The curriculum was translated into Spanish and Russian with facilitators, fluent in the respective languages, co-leading the sessions. The programs all followed the same protocol, which emphasized group discussions, responses, and using the skills learned in the programs. In addition, the program was taken to Tanzania, where it was translated into Swahili and offered to 20 caregiving grandparents living in the countryside outside of Dar Es Salaam (Cox & Minor, 2014).

Culture can be influential in shaping roles and behaviors. For many grandparent caregivers, assuming the responsibility of raising grandchildren fulfills familial responsibilities. As I heard many times, grandparents said they stepped in as they did not want the children to go into the “system.”

However, culture is not a constant. Adherence to traditions and values varies with acculturation. Some grandparents who are immigrants may be stressed by grandchildren who are more assimilated into U.S. culture and do not respect traditional expectations or behaviors. In working with any specific caregiver, knowledge of specific group norms and values is crucial, but it is essential not to make assumptions about the adherence of the individual family (Cox, 2018).

Culture can affect the willingness to discuss and share personal experiences in a group setting. For instance, Latino and Russian grandparents were more reticent about discussing personal experiences than were Black grandparents, who were open to sharing family issues, problems, and disappointments. Recognizing such differences is important for empowerment as it seeks to encompass and build upon such cultural nuances (Cox, 2014). One example is the role of discipline in Tanzanian families, where grandparents appeared to be quick to hit rather than listen. At the program’s completion, discussions with the children found they were most appreciative that their grandparents were listening to them rather than spanking.

Culturally competent interventions demand knowledge about discrimination, history of access to services, and how such factors may influence trust in providers. The willingness to use services also is affected by language, because the inability to communicate with providers can be a formidable barrier to using services. Understanding legal concerns and relations to formal agencies is particularly important to groups likely to be impacted by immigration policies. Cultural competence necessitates an understanding of the background, policies, and service availability and accessibility.

Virtual Empowerment

Support for grandparent caregivers became more critical in 2020 with the surge of COVID-19 as children and grandparents dealt with isolation and new school challenges. COVID-19 isolation further contributed to grandparents doubting their parenting abilities, particularly as many children struggled to adapt to online learning. Moreover, the virus was a formidable barrier to support as it undermined access to services, traditional support groups, in-person counseling, respite assistance, and case management services (Generations United, 2021).

In response to the urgent needs of these grandparents, in 2020 the in-person empowerment program was transformed into a virtual program offered via Zoom. A grant from the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA) provided WiFi to 350 public housing tenants as well as basic education on the use of technology. These assets provided the foundation for the program.

Adaptation from In-Person to Virtual

The virtual program was reduced from 14 to 7 classes, each 60 minutes, with additional time available for individual counseling with participants. The adjustment was made in recognition that many grandparents were caring for their grandchildren and might also be caring for another relative who had COVID-19.

Specific classes were selected in conjunction with the staff of DFTA and included: 1) The Nature and Importance of Empowerment; 2) The Importance of Self-esteem in Children; 3) Dealing with Behavioral Issues; 4) Grief and Loss; 5) Communication; 6) Talking About Sex; and 7) Making Effective Presentations. As in the traditional program, the virtual program sought to empower grandparents in the family and the community.

Within 2 weeks of publicizing the program, 70 grandparents had registered for the training. Classes were limited to 15 participants. The only prerequisites were that they were raising their grandchildren and that they could connect to WIFI. The program continued until July 2023 and has graduated almost 100 grandparents.

Most participants were Black grandparents of low income who lived in public housing in New York City. Like in-person classes, each participant received the week’s class material via email. Grandparents were expected to be familiar with the readings and prepared to discuss them in class. They also were expected to apply the lessons learned to interactions with their grandchildren and report on its impact.

Similar to in-person groups, communication and children’s self-esteem were favorite topics. However, one subject that surfaced during classes was dealing with grief. Several families had experienced the loss of a relative to COVID-19, and consequently, the classes on how children grieve and how to deal with a child’s grief, as well as one’s own, were particularly relevant.

The fact that the children were now learning at home was a challenge for many participants who were unsure of how their children were doing with the computers and were concerned about their learning. One grandmother was dubious about her 12-year-old grandson’s work quality but was hesitant to contact the teacher. Participants shared how this could be done and its possible importance, even helping the grandmother rehearse her conversation with the teacher. The grandmother returned to the next session excited and eager to discuss how she had contacted the teacher, how pleased the teacher was that she had called, and how the teacher even called her back to talk some more. She truly felt “empowered.”

Also, having classes at home can be empowering for the children. Often, they would come into the room and see their grandparent on Zoom taking a class “to be a better grandparent.” One grandson was asked what he thought about it, responding, “It’s cool.”

Another grandmother reported that her granddaughter (who had been listening to the class on behavior) told her, “You can’t do that, your teacher would not like it.” A teenage boy about whom the grandmother was very concerned happened to walk into the class and was questioned. He was smiling as he responded, “Granma just doesn’t understand computers, I am doing really well in class.” Then he displayed his homework, and got applause from the group. This unexpected benefit of the virtual program is that it can empower both generations, reaffirming to the children their importance in their grandparents’ lives.

It is important to note that participants exchanged phone numbers as well as email contacts. Given the isolation many were experiencing, they developed a solid network of others going through the same experiences. Even in normal times, raising a grandchild can be isolating as it can limit socialization. Virtual groups can be an important means of ensuring grandparents remain included in their networks and society.

Conclusion

Empowerment programs focusing on strengthening the parenting skills and social advocacy ability of grandparent caregivers have traditionally been taught in person. They focus on increasing parenting skills as well as strengthening grandparent abilities to be empowered in the community. Rather than acting as experts, the group is encouraged to discuss and participate in sessions. The focus of the programs is to empower grandparents in the home and in the community, where they can become active in advocating for policies and services that can further support them and their families.

Being knowledgeable about participants’ culture can be critical in understanding roles and responses. Being knowledgeable about discrimination and the history of a specific group is critical for sensitive interventions and understanding relationships to empowerment. At the same time, cultural competence guards against generalizations about any individual and their adherence to a specific culture and traditions, which may influence their behaviors.

Although empowerment programs are usually in-person, virtual empowerment can be an effective tool for grandparents, particularly for those unable to attend in-person group meetings. Grandparents are eager to learn and use technology. The virtual programs support networking and relationships among participants. A major advantage of virtual programs is that they are not confined to a specific area or community. There are no boundaries restricting eligibility and thus they are accessible to those living in areas where there are no support services.

Virtual programs are an important means of fostering social inclusion and combating isolation, conditions that affect many grandparent caregivers who are restricted due to their health or child-rearing responsibilities. However, resources that give them access to the technology and teach them how to use it are essential (Wilson et al., 2021).

A recent study from the Pew Research Center (Faverio, 2022) found that although the use of digital technology has increased among people ages 65 and older, they are less likely to have access to home broadband or to use the Internet than younger people. It is important to combat ageism and stereotypes that older people cannot learn or do not want to use technology as such stereotypes may limit availability of the services and act as barriers to program expansion. Policies that contribute to accessibility are essential because these older adults, comparable to others in society, are eager to “connect.”

In today’s world technology and the ability to connect with others via computers is fundamental to inclusion. The importance of overcoming the connectivity gap was recognized in the federal 2020 Affordable Connectivity Program. The Program offered discounts on Internet connection and devices to low-income people whose income was 200% or less than the poverty guidelines. At the time of the Act’s termination in June 2024, more than 23 million households were enrolled in the program, with nearly half headed by someone older than age 50 (Federal Communications Commission, 2024). Efforts are being made to reinstate funding for the program as connecting is fundamental for everyone (Rosenworcel, 2024).

Finally, there is a need for in-person and virtual empowerment programs and both should be available and accessible to grandparents. Those able and interested in attending in-person groups where they feel comfortable and enjoy the personal connections with others should have access to these programs. Concomitantly, grandparents whose obligations, health, or geography limit their ability to attend in-person groups must have the opportunity for access to virtual programs.

Carole Cox, MSW, PhD, is a professor of Social Work at the Graduate School of Social Service, Fordham University, in New York City. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and a Fulbright Scholar. Recently, she was appointed to the position of Distinguished Fellow at the School of Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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