When babysitting changed to raising grandchildren, it nixed my plans — but saved (and changed) my life

Terri Shields, founder and executive director of Hazelwood’s JADA House International, sits for a portrait on Aug. 15, 2023, at the Spartan Community Center of Hazelwood. (Photo by Stephanie Strasburg/PublicSource) Opioids, violence, chronic disease and more have left many children in the hands of their grandparents. When three of my grandkids fell to me, I didn’t have a community around me. I’m changing that. “PublicSource is an independent nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region.& Sign up for our free newsletters.” First-person essay by Terri Shields, PublicSource August 2, 2024 They say the great thing about grandchildren is that you can enjoy them and give them back. But one day I was taking care of several of mine, and nobody came back to get them. Days after that missed pick-up, I realized that I’d have to shelve my plans for post-parenting life. I’d thought that, because my kids were gone, I was clear to go and have fun. I’d been all set to live the good life — with disposable income — but found myself annoyed that after raising my own, I would be obligated indefinitely to provide three children, ages 6 to 10, with food, clothes, housing, utilities, time and...