在多元社會的變遷下，家庭結構的型態日趨多樣，「隔代教養家庭」成爲眾多家庭類型中的一種。目前許多學者使用不同的理論來研究隔代教養家庭，本文將從「生命歷程的觀點」來探討隔代教養家庭的困境，包括：時間失序的角色、隔代教養者的身心壓力與負擔、社會孤立、教養問題、資源的不可獲得性與不可近性。由此可知，危機家庭隔代教養的問題與需求是多元與全面的，故筆者從服務的科際整合與輸送的過程，提供一些提醒與反思：(1)專業間的連結與整合；(2)提升服務輸送的敏感度；(3)創造與訓練符合隔代教養家庭需求之方案及員工。隔代教養家庭已成爲眾多家庭類型中不容忽視的一種家庭結構，從生命歷程的觀點可以清楚看到，危機家庭隔代教養是一種非預期的生活事件，我們也發現歷史社會脈絡對隔代教養家庭的影響，及每一個生命歷程所累積的優勢與限制。與其他類型的家庭相較，老年期隔代教養者最大的限制在於體力及對資源的覺察，如何透過服務方案來緩和隔代教養者的身心負荷，並且提高隔代教養者的資源使用度，將是未來繼續努力的目標。

Nowadays, the family structures are so different and raising grandchildren within house-hold is becoming one of the mainstay family types. This paper will examine grandparents' predicaments from life course perspective, including time-disordered roles, grandparents' stress, social isolation, parenting and resource problems. Accordingly, grandparents raising grandchildren have diverse needs and problems. This paper provides some suggestions based on the multi-disciplinary and service providing process: connecting resources, sensitivity to the process of providing services and developing innovative programs. From life course perspective, grandparenting is a non-anticipated event and also is influenced by historical and social contexts. How to increase grandparents' ability to use resources will be the main task in the future.