Placement with grandparents The issues for

grandparents who care for their grandchildren This article by David Pitcher describes research undertaken to understand the needs of grandparents who take on the care of their grandchildren following abuse or neglect. Thirty-three families were inter-viewed between February and April 1999. Most of them had substantial involvement with social services in placement, assessment and support. The study concluded that many grandparent carers experience a sense of isolation from their families and friends, and feel that social services have left them to get on without clear channels for help. It also revealed the real delight many carers have in their grandchildren, and suggested that this is a special quality of these placements. The article ends b