Grandparents remain a key support for families during the holidays

Paris – 11 July 2026: Grandparents remain an essential source of support for families in France during school holidays. According to a survey reported by Franceinfo on Saturday, 84 percent of parents would like to have a few hours to themselves. Childcare provided by grandparents creates room for this while also enabling intergenerational encounters that have become less common in the daily lives of many households.

The role of grandparents extends beyond occasional holiday assistance. In a comprehensive study, the state research body Drees found that around two-thirds of children under the age of six in France are looked after by their grandparents at least occasionally. This care takes place regularly, as short-term help, or at weekends and during holidays.

Grandparents therefore fulfil a role that is organised informally within the French childcare system but carries considerable weight for many families. Public nurseries, childminders and leisure facilities do not cover demand at all times. Especially during the long summer holidays, with variable working hours or unexpected absences, the family network can close a gap.

This support also has an economic dimension. Care within the family reduces spending on external services and makes it easier for parents to balance work and private life. At the same time, it should not be regarded as an unlimited substitute service: health, the distance between places of residence and personal commitments limit the options available to many older people. Reliable arrangements between generations therefore remain crucial.

According to data from an Ifop survey conducted in 2021, 93 percent of surveyed grandparents enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, and 85 percent describe the relationship as trusting and close. More than half said they look after their grandchildren for at least one hour per week. Such findings primarily demonstrate the great importance of the relationship; however, no medically proven rejuvenating effect can be inferred from them.

The claim that spending time with grandchildren keeps grandmothers or grandfathers young should therefore be understood more as an everyday expression. Shared activities, social inclusion and the feeling of being needed can promote well-being. Scientifically, however, health in old age depends on numerous factors, including income, housing conditions, exercise, medical care and social contacts outside the family.

For family policy, the issue points to a structural question. Care by grandparents strengthens cohesion, but it must not replace the expansion of professional and affordable services. Where private support is lacking, the burden falls particularly heavily on single parents and lower-income households. Holiday childcare is therefore not only a matter of organisation, but also of social equality.