Grandparent caregivers come in all shapes and sizes. Some grandparents do part-time babysitting while others are the sole providers. Studies show higher income families tend to fall into the babysitting category, while lower income grandparents are more likely to take on primary responsibility for the children’s needs.

In 2011, 7.7 million children in the U.S. were living with a grandparent, and nearly 3 million were being cared for primarily by that grandparent.

Whatever the arrangement, experts say that when grandparents step in, they provide a crucial service — benefiting the parents, the children and society. But there’s also challenges, particularly for those grandparents who do full-time care, ranging from financial to emotional.

On Dec. 1, we’ll take a closer look at grandparent caregivers.

We want to hear your story. Are you a grandparent caregiver? Leave us a comment!