Caregiving... What I didn't know

I had not thought intentionally about the topic of caregiving prior to joining the Women's Fund team. Although there are many children in my extended family, I do not have children of my own, and my older family members were generally in good health. In short, I did not have to think about it. With grandparents facing health challenges, peers with young children, and regular exposure to the topic through Women's Fund, the issue of caregiving permeates my thoughts more regularly now.

Caregiving is more than an issue Women's Fund focuses on, it is an issue impacting all of us in one way or another. Many of us are responsible for the care of children, or are faced with elder care issues. The related statistics are striking. Following are some facts about caregiving, which we have uncovered in our research publication, Still on Shaky Ground 2006:

• In central Indiana, there are only 24 licensed childcare spots for every 100 children under the age of six whose caregivers work outside the home.
• In the Indianapolis metropolitan area, an estimated 63% of children under six have all parents in the labor force, while an estimated 71% of children 6-17 years old have all parents in the labor force.
• 59,000 Indiana grandparents are raising their grandchildren; up 10,000 from 2006.
• 20% of households where grandparents raise grandchildren live in poverty.

Caregiving issues affect all socioeconomic strata, yet they disproportionately impact the impoverished. Fortunately, there are organizations in our community addressing issues faced by caregivers. In addition to Women's Fund's support of many organizations, The Indianapolis Retirement Fund, a special interest fund of CICF, provides funding focused on helping community members as they age, for example.

We have highlighted many of the organizations we have supported on our blog. And, we will continue to do so, as they have an important role and impact the well-being of our families and our community. If you have any resources you have found particularly helpful, we welcome you to share them with us and our blog readers.