‘The Heart of the Matter’: Grandparent Childcare in Contemporary Chinese Families

Abstract

Grandparent childcare is an international phenomenon, especially within families with children under 3 years old. China is no exception, as shown by a number of quantitative studies. Less clear is our understanding of the actual childcare arrangements involved and how these are negotiated and sustained through the intergenerational interactions between grandparents and parents. As a contribution to answering those questions, this qualitative study was undertaken in Taonan, northeast China. Interviews were conducted to explore participants' perceptions of grandparent childcare. A systemic perspective on contemporary Chinese family life is used to present and understand data through an Integrated Family Model. Within the context of a rapidly changing society, traditional characteristics of family obligation and the intimate ties between grandparents and their adult children were being reconfigured in new forms of intergenerational identity. On the basis of the findings, as articulated in the model, recommendations are made for practice and future research.