More Grandparents Raising Children's Children

Oklahoma City students head back to school next week, but instead of parents prepping kids to go back to class, many grandparents are tasked with getting the school supplies together.

Darlene Cook, known as ‘Grammy' in her household, is a mom to three. She's raising her two grandchildren and her partner's grandchild and says the second time around isn't easy.

"Being a parent again at this point in my life is not what I expected," Cook said.  

Her daughter, a nurse was married had two beautiful girls but started abusing the medicine she was supposed to be dispensing. An addiction to pain meds spiraled out of control into methamphetamine abuse, then theft to score the meth.  

After a check writing scheme caught up with her, Grammy is left picking up the pieces.

"I think they kind of left their old life behind and they are so used to being with us, occasionally [they'll say] ‘It's…not fair. I want to be normal.'" she said.

Tiffany and Megan, 11 and 12 years old respectively, have adjusted, but they say their mother has not.

"She gets really emotional which sometimes I'd say, not annoying, but it can be really awkward," Tiffany Brewer-Cook said.  

Ninety-five percent of the women in prison are mothers. In May, Gov. Fallin signed a prison reform bill into law aimed at reducing recidivism and reducing the state prison population.