69 © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016 I.L. Rubin et al. (eds.), Health Care for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities across the Lifespan, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-18096-0_6 Grandparents as Caregivers for Grandchildren with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities LaShawnDa Pittman, Janice Nodvin, and Maeve Howett L. Pittman, Ph.D. (*) Department of American Ethnic Studies, Faculty Affiliate, West Coast Poverty Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA e-mail: lpittman@uw.edu J. Nodvin, B.A. Institute for the Study of Disadvantage and Disability, 776 Windsor Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30342, USA e-mail: jnodvin@aol.com M. Howett, Ph.D., APRN, CPNP-PC, IBCLC Southeast Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, 1520 Clifton Road, Suite 350, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA e-mail: mhowett@emory.edu 6 Abstract Although there are more grandparents raising grandchildren than at any other time in American history, the experiences of those caring for chil- dren with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has received scant attention. Even less is known about the health challenges and solu- tions characterizing these families. This chapter uses data collected from 45 grandparents raising grandchildren with IDD in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area to examine their caregiving experiences, with particular attention given to the health of both caregivers and children, and the obsta- cles and strategies associated with meeting their health needs. Community based organizations such as Innovative Solutions for Disadvantage and Disability and related programs (e.g., Project GRANDD or Grandparents Raising and Nurturing Dependents with Disabilities) play a critical role to this vulnerable population of caregivers charged with strategizing to ensure the well-being of their families. Introduction There are more grandparent-headed households (GPHH) today than at any other time in American history [1]. The number of children living with a grandparent has increased 77 % since 1970, 22 % since 2000 and spiked after the onset of the recent recession [2]. Grandmothers shoulder the lion’s share of grandparent caregiving, comprising 64 % of the 2.7 million grandparents primarily responsible for caring for their grandchildren [1].