Canadians are living longer and spending more time as grandparents.

Canadians are living longer and spending more time as grandparents.
Photo Credit: CBC

Grandparents play vital role, says non-profit

Grandparents are playing an increasingly important role in the lives of Canadian children, according to the Vanier Institute of the Family. The non-profit research group analysed statistics to create a snapshot of grandparents. It found that they often provide financial support, child care support and sometimes even raise children on their own more than they have in the past.

‘Fairly strong’ relationships

“By and large, most grandparent-grandchildren relationships in this country are fairly strong and healthy and vibrant and vital for the health and well-being of both the families and the grandchildren,” says Nora Spinks, CEO of the Vanier Institute of the Family.

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There are 7.1 million grandparents in Canada. They have an average four children—down from the average of five in 2001. About 600,000 live with their grandchildren notably in the north, where many indigenous families reside and among immigrant communities.

Sometimes grandparents help with care or are the sole care providers for their grandchildren.
Sometimes grandparents help with care or are the sole care providers for their grandchildren. © Shutterstock

Grandparents live longer, do more

Some grandparents are the sole care providers for their grandchildren. This occurs, for instance, where parents have died, are incarcerated, are drug-addicted or are too mentally ill to care for their children.

Because life expectancy has increased, most grandparents will spend 24 or 25 years with their grandchildren. And half will provide some financial support. They might set aside money for education, pay for extras like ballet or music lessons, or they might supplement household spending or provide a down payment to purchase a house.

Leaving it to the grandkids is new

What is new is that they sometimes will their estates to their grandchildren, skipping over their own children. And increasingly, grandchildren are supplementing or providing primary care to their grandparents.

The picture is not entirely rosy. Families are becoming more complex as more parents divorce and step-parents are involved. They do not always get along.

The institute tried to collect information about great-great grandparents but found few official statistics. It culled birth and death notices and plans to do more research because as life expediencies increase they are playing a greater role in the lives of families.

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