A woman in China has filed a lawsuit against her son for approximately 720,000 yuan ($72,000) in child support after raising her granddaughter for 15 years.
According to the South China Morning Post, the Shanghai Songjiang District People's Court recently disclosed the case involving a woman in her 60s, identified as Xu, who sued her son, Liang, for 360,000 yuan (about $72,000) in child support.
Xu took on the responsibility of raising her granddaughter after her son divorced in 2014 when the child was just four years old. Following Liang's remarriage, the care of the granddaughter fell entirely to Xu, who bore the full financial burden, including daily expenses, medical costs, and educational fees. Xu claimed that her son had failed to fulfill his parental obligations, prompting her to file the lawsuit.
After mediation by the court, Xu and her son reached an agreement for him to pay her 200,000 yuan (about $40,000).
Liang argued that his monthly income was only 3,000 yuan (about $600), and he had provided support within his means. However, the court ruled in favor of Xu.
This case is not isolated; there have been other instances where grandparents have sought child support from their children after caring for grandchildren. In one case, an elderly couple in Beijing filed a claim for 320,000 yuan (about $64,000) for expenses incurred while raising their granddaughter since her first birthday.
Additionally, a 59-year-old woman in Hunan Province, who assisted her son with childcare, reportedly lost 20 kilograms and was diagnosed with anxiety disorder within just six months.
As a result, there has been a heated debate online regarding 'late-life parenting,' questioning whether it is a familial obligation or a form of caregiving that holds economic value.
The South China Morning Post noted that while caring for grandchildren was traditionally viewed as a natural sacrifice and expression of love by grandparents, there is a growing recognition of it as caregiving labor with economic implications.
Jiang Liyong, a social welfare scholar from Hubei Province, emphasized the need for families to share living expenses, communicate actively, and expand public childcare services.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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