Custodial grandparents in Latino families: Patterns of service use and predictors of unmet needs

This article examines patterns of service use and predictors of unmet needs among a purposive sample of 74 Latino grandparent caregivers in New York City. Study participants tended to be unmarried, middle-aged, and older women who were monolingual Spanish speaking and had very low levels of educational attainment and income. Nearly all respondents were connected to the formal service system, yet they still reported substantial unmet needs. Lack of knowledge was the major barrier to service use, and predictors of unmet needs included low education, poor health, high levels of life stress, and lack of reliable help with child rearing. Implications for policy and practice strategies that focus on role-related needs of Latino custodial grandparents are discussed.