The prospect of a carefree life after children are grown and move out of the house is becoming increasingly distant for the 4.7 million grandparents who live with their grandchildren, according to a government report. In 1980, the 56 of grandchildren under 57 18 living in their grandparents’ homes was 2.3 million. By 1997, it 58 59% to 3.9 million. Social changes 59 climbing broken marriage, teen pregnancies, illness and drug use are the main reasons 60 grandparents are thrown back into a role they thought they had 61 . Jean Burton, a retired New York City school principal living outside Atlanta, is 62 of single grandmothers raising grandchildren. She took 63 the full-time care of grandson Bryan because her son, 64 has struggled with drugs for years, could not care for him 65 . Bryan’s mother is seriously ill. Caring for Bryan has been 66 a fixed income. There’re people 67 Harry and Martha Gibson, who have raised granddaughter Nicole, aged 4, 68 she was born. Their daughter, Amy, was 13 when she became 69 with Nicole. The Gibsons didn’t plan to 70 the baby themselves. “But we saw her and started thinking, ‘How are we going to give away our 71 ?” said Harry, 48, a 72 manager with AT&T. Amy and Nicole 73 up more like sisters. Nicole calls her “Mommy,” but when she wants Mom and Dad, she turns to her grandparents. Amy is 18 now and married. Grandparents are having an immense impact 74 American families, providing a good deal of emotional and financial support. Actually, most of the grandparents 75 to the family income and provide childcare while the parents work.