Pratt ? Joan Clark has reached that stage in life that is not quite an empty nest – for the second time.

She is one of a growing number of grandparents raising their grandchildren. In 1970, 3.2 percent of children lived in a household maintained by their grandparents; three decades later the percentage had grown to 5.5, more than 6 million children, an increase of 76 percent, according to 2000 U.S. Census figures.

The increase in grandfamilies can be tied to “Four Ds” – death, divorce, desertion and drugs – as well as other factors such as teen pregnancy, mental and physical illness, crime and incarceration.

Cody Barilla was 17 months old when his mother, Deanna “D.D.” Clark Barilla, died. He had two homes for a time, with his father and with his grandparents, Jim and Joan Clark of Preston. Richard Barilla later returned to his home state of Pennsylvania, taking Cody with him, but the boy spent holidays and summers in Kansas.

He was his grandfather’s shadow, Joan Clark said; they were best buddies. For years, he wanted to move back and four years ago his father gave permission.

Widowed by then, Clark continued to farm. She incorporated the school and 4-H activities back into her life, reshuffling and reprioritizing. A close-knit family stepped in to fill the gaps between the generations.

“It’s been kind of a group project,” Clark said, giving credit to her son Bruce for helping Cody with his 4-H livestock and daughters Kim Christner and Connie Clark for sharing their experiences.

Cody graduated from Skyline School in May and is a freshman at Hutchinson Community College, where he has a livestock-judging scholarship. He shares a house with friends in Hutchinson during the week, but drops in at home whenever possible. Grandma and Uncle Bruce take care of Cody’s sheep, cows and horse during his absence and will accompany him to more than half a dozen state and national livestock shows through the fall and winter.

Cody stays in contact with his family in Pennsylvania and his father and grandmother have come to Kansas for homecoming, graduation and some of Cody’s sheep shows.

“It’s a harmonious relationship,” Clark said.

The experience has been good. Not all grandparent-headed families can say the same.

What grandparents miss most when the children move in is being a grandparent, according to information provided by AARP. They’re no longer free to spoil the grandchildren; they’re the ones who must keep the children in line.

Parenting styles have changed, their own energy level may have declined, and some are also helping aging parents manage their lives.

Grandparents are often at a loss when it comes to mental health issues. Children may have been removed from parents because of addiction, crime, abuse or neglect, or have been deserted by a parent. In their short lives, they may have faced more trauma than adults will in a lifetime and are changed by it – angry or anxious, aggressive or withdrawn and emotionally needy.

More than a quarter of children in grandparent-maintained homes live in poverty, compared with 19 percent who live with their parents, according to the 2000 Census.

In January, the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services established the Grandparents as Caregivers program that provides a stipend of $200 per grandchild, not to exceed $600 a month, for custodial grandparents who meet income qualifications. Children may be eligible for other state and federal benefits even if the grandparents do not have legal custody.