Care Competition in the Family: Do Changes in Spousal Care Influence Grandchild Support?

AbstractObjective: This study examined whether changes in spousal care were associated with changes in grandchild care frequency among European grandparents.Background: Grandparents are important providers of childcare for their children's families, but they may face competing caregiving demands within the family, especially as spousal caregivers. Limited resources may force them to prioritize one family member over another, particularly when new care needs emerge. Method: This study used eight waves (2004–2022) of data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe, covering 19 countries. The sample included individuals aged 50+ who had participated in at least two study waves and had a grandchild under age 13 (56,383 observations from 18,754 respondents). Asymmetric fixed-effects regression was employed to examine whether starting or stopping spousal care was associated with changes in grandchild care frequency.Results: Starting intensive spousal care was associated with reduced grandchild care frequency, similarly for grandfathers and grandmothers. The results also indicated a negative effect of stopping spousal care on childcare, particularly among grandfathers, although this finding was not statistically significant. Further inspection revealed that stopping spousal care was associated with reduced grandchild care only among grandfathers who no longer resided with their partner (e.g., due to institutionalization or death).Conclusion: Engagement in intensive spousal care predicts grandparental childcare, showing that intensifying resource competition impacts the distribution of care within families.