STRENGTHS AND NEEDS OF BLACK GRANDPARENTS

This study was conducted to identify ethnic differences in grandparent performance and effectiveness so that an educational program called B ecoming A Better Grandparent could be adapted to maximize its relevanc e for Black families. MANOVA procedures were used to compare perceptio ns of 204 Anglo grandparents and 204 Black grandparents as well as 175 Anglo and 295 Black grandchildren. Black grandparents perceived thems elves more favorably than did Anglos on every subscale of the Grandpar ent Strengths and Needs Inventory. Black grandchildren assigned grandp arents significantly more favorable ratings for teaching and overall s uccess, whereas Anglo grandchildren assigned their grandparents higher scores for coping with difficulty, managing frustration, and meeting information needs. Analyses of grandparent responses revealed signific ant main effects for age of grandparent, age of grandchild, time spent together, and geographical proximity. Grandchildren responses yielded significant main effects for age of grandchild and time spent togethe r. Findings showed interaction effects for ethnicity by age of grandpa rent, ethnicity by age of grandchild, and ethnicity by distance. Impli cations for modifying the program to fit Black grandparents were ident ified.