Joe Smith did not picture raising his granddaughter at age 66, but when his daughter’s substance use disorder meant she couldn’t care for her child, that’s where Smith and his wife found themselves nineteen years ago.
That brought all the costs that come with a new baby in the house, like clothes, a crib, a third mouth to feed — and sometimes a fourth, when Smith’s daughter lived with them on and off. His granddaughter’s father provided no child support. When Smith and his wife finally gained legal custody of their granddaughter, Olivia, Smith had missed countless hours of work as a construction electrician to attend court hearings and attorney meetings.
