Childcare by grandparents in the context of welfare state policies

In the chapter, childcare by grandparents reflects downward intergenerational support in families. The authors aim to understand the ways that policy, structure, and culture shape the extent to which grandparents provide care for their grandchildren. According to common approaches to the role of family policy, a strong welfare state may replace family arrangements and thus “crowd out” intergenerational solidarity within the family, or it may stimulate and thus “crowd in” intergenerational solidarity within the family. The authors suggest the concept of mixed responsibilities, according to which family and state provisions interact. Using this framework, the chapter provides an overview of grandparental childcare in different welfare state contexts (namely Europe, the United States, China, and South Korea). It concludes that a mix of demographic trends, cultural norms, and welfare state policies contributes to explaining cross-national differences in the provision of childcare by grandparents.