Open the app

Grandparent childcare

Whether grandparents provide childcare, how often, and whether it is paid or unpaid.

Should grandparents provide regular childcare?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: None; Emergency backup; Part-time regular; Primary care; paid or unpaid. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: during pregnancy.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
During pregnancy
Part of
The family system

Grandparent childcare: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. None

    Grandparents do not provide childcare.

  2. 2. Emergency backup

    Grandparents step in only when plans fall through.

  3. 3. Part-time regular

    Grandparents care for the child on set days.

  4. 4. Primary care; paid or unpaid

    Grandparents are the main daytime caregivers, and you decide whether to pay them.

Grandparent childcare: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. (Values (mixed evidence))

Pew Research found that among US grandparents who had helped with child care in the past year, about 72% did so only occasionally and about 22% regularly (Pew Research Center; figures from a search summary because the page could not be opened). Research on how grandparent care affects children is mixed: some studies link grandparent involvement with resilience and wellbeing, while reviews of grandparent care find higher emotional difficulties in some groups, with the effect depending on the kind of involvement and the family situation (Systematic review and meta-analysis, Behavioral Sciences 2025; summary only). Agreement on hours, rules and any payment is the part couples can control

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

Care by grandparents can save money and deepen the relationship. It can also strain it, especially when you disagree about rules. Clear expectations help, including whether you pay.

Questions to ask each other

  • Would we want grandparents to provide care, and how often?
  • How would we handle paying or thanking them?
  • What if it does not work out?

More in Extended family and community

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.