The Grandparents Who Put Their Retirement on Hold

The daily routine for the Parisella household is a high-stakes race against the clock. Between managing school runs, navigating food bank queues, and working full-time to cover a $2,075 monthly rent, the couple lives in a constant state of fiscal uncertainty. Vicki, the sole breadwinner, relies on her accounts payable job to keep the family afloat, while Sal manages his chronic kidney condition. Their situation reflects a systemic gap; unlike licensed foster parents, these grandparents often receive little to no financial support, leaving them to shoulder the burden of raising children while their own savings dwindle.

Legal obstacles further complicate their path toward stability. Because they lack permanent custody, they live in fear that the girls' biological father could resurface, threatening the fragile environment they have built. Across the country, other families share this exhausting reality, sacrificing their health and mental well-being to provide a future for children who have experienced significant instability. Despite the looming threat of bankruptcy and the daily grind of survival, the Parisellas maintain that the trade-off is worth it. They are not focused on the lost years of retirement, but on ensuring that when they are eventually gone, their granddaughters remember the home they were given.