Evaluation studies, longitudinal designs, and more varied study samples including cross-cultural comparisons are needed to advance knowledge about grandparent caregivers' health.

The major purpose of this study was to identify predictors of grandparent caregiver health status. Additional purposes were to describe the physical and emotional health of grandparent caregivers and the perceived benefits of support group attendance. A convenience sample of 42 grandparents was recruited from support groups. Data were collected through telephone interviews. Grandparents who had higher parenting stress reported lower levels of physical, social, and mental health. Inverse correlations were present between life stress and mental health. Positive correlations were found between social support and physical health. No pattern emerged in a comparison of the health of caregiving grandparents and a normative sample. Emotional support was the primary benefit derived from support group attendance. There were modest inverse associations between the length of time the child had lived with the grandparent and six of the eight indicators of grandparent health.

More thorough clinical assessment of these reconfigured families will lead to improved mental health outcomes for children and will enhance clinical records as sources of research data.

I appreciate your questions, and the criticism they carry. It must be rare for someone who writes a political book (English in America: A Radical View of the Profession) to have a chance to discuss its argument and reception with those who share its aims, and whose criticism comes out of comradeship and struggle rather than the wish to score debating points or advance a career or defend a position. I'll try to reply in the same spirit.

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