Alloparenting

In biology and sociology, alloparenting is where individuals other than the actual parents act in a parental role.

One common form of alloparenting is where grandparents adopt a parental role. This is sometimes named a "skipped generation household". In 1997, 8% of children in the United States lived with their grandparents, with the grandparents being the caregivers in one third of those cases.^[1]

According to Deihl^[2], the Efépeople of Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo practice alloparenting, with care for infants coming from siblings, grandparents, and older members of the community. Deihl states that where siblings are alloparents this provides adolescents experience of being a parent, and that similar practice in the United States would reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy and make teenage parents "better parent[s] when they do become parents".

See also

• Cooperative breeding
• Helpers at the nest
• Parenting
• Prosocial behavior

References

1. ^  Alloparenting. Texas Registry of Parent Educator Resources. URL accessed on 2005-12-28.
2. ^  Erin Deihl. Cross-Cultural Perspective on Adolescent Parenting: Efe and Korea. How do adolescents transition into parenthood?. URL accessed on 2005-12-28.

• Ivey, P.K. (2000). Cooperative Reproduction in Ituri Forest Hunter-Gatherers: Who Cares for Efé Infants? Current Anthropology, Volume 41, Number 5, 856-866. Full text