Objective: This study examines the experiences of grandparents supporting grandchild-rearing from the aspect of care ethics. To this end, a meta-analysis was conducted on qualitative research focused on the theme of grandparents supporting grandchild-rearing.
Methods: : This study reinterprets the results of previous qualitative research by applying the qualitative meta-analysis method. As a reference point as of November 2019, 10 studies focusing on grandparents supporting grandchild-rearing during infancy were selected, and the steps suggested by Noblit and Hare (1988) were followed.
Results: Four themes and 13 core concepts are noted among the experiences of grandparents supporting grandchild-rearing. The four themes are beginning of rearing, crossroads of change, conflict and confusion, and happiness and insight. The 13 core concepts derived are as follows: blood ties, second-generation growth, economic reasons, disbelief in childcare facilities, change in family network, change in relations, change in demand for social systems, worsening health, experience of exhaustion, role conflict, the disappearance of personal life, the joy of relationships, and discovery of new values.
Conclusions: The experiences of grandparents supporting grandchild-rearing were primarily that of care providers. This study discusses the necessity for institutional supplementation that may trigger the virtuous cycle of care, such as financial support, social interest, and education programs for grandparents, to help empathize with the needs and difficulties of care providers.