I'm 66 raising my four-year-old granddaughter, can't retire

February 18, 2026 - 03:02

At an age when many of her peers are enjoying retirement, 66-year-old Dorenne Simonson is navigating a vastly different reality. She is the primary caregiver for her four-year-old granddaughter in New Jersey, a role that has forced her to indefinitely postpone retirement and confront significant financial and logistical hurdles.

The post-pandemic landscape has intensified these daily challenges. Soaring costs for essentials like food and housing are compounded by the critical scarcity and exorbitant price of quality childcare. For Simonson, leaving the workforce is simply not an option, as her income is essential to supporting their household of two.

Her story reflects a growing, often hidden demographic of kinship caregivers—grandparents and other relatives stepping in to raise children. These individuals frequently face this profound responsibility with little warning, straining fixed incomes and personal health. The emotional reward of providing a stable, loving home is tempered by the constant anxiety over finances and the future.

Simonson’s days are a delicate balancing act of work obligations and the full-time demands of parenting a young child. Her experience underscores the silent struggles of countless families, highlighting the need for greater support systems for those who put family first, often at the expense of their own security and retirement plans.