Zita Robinson, who's 77 and diabetic, has been careful around her granddaughter since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. A door connects Robinson's apartment in Phoenix to the main house where 8-year-old Traris “Trary” Robinson-Newman and her mother live, but it mostly stays shut. The separation Trary and her grandmother experience in their home is becoming a bigger issue as children go back to school.
If a grandchild does bring the virus home, grandparents of color are at higher risk than their white counterparts, experts say.
That could become more prevalent as COVID-19 clobbers the U.S. economy. Living with extended family increased during the Great Recession in 2009, according to Jaia Peterson, deputy executive director of Generations United, an advocacy group focused on intergenerational issues. “I guess you could say it's for emotional reasons,” Letalu said. “If there really was a possibility of exposure at the school ... then I would definitely social distance them and quarantine them inside. I would also take us all to go get tested.”
“We’re such a close family. For us, eating together is our thing,” said Villalobos, who's Latina. “If we were to change our dynamic, that changes the whole family.” Grandparents who are primary caregivers potentially face a more dire situation. Chris Svaldi, 71, helped raise her 8-year-old grandson and got permanent custody of him two years ago. He will return to his private Catholic school in Montrose, Colorado, on Aug. 24, with fewer than 10 students so they can practice social distancing, Svaldi said. Still, she's pushing COVID-19 worries to the back of her mind.
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