Grandparents and Kinship Care

For a whole range of reasons parents are sometimes unable to care for their children. When this happens extended family, often grandparents, may take over the care of one or more children. This is sometimes referred to as ‘kinship care’.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that 22,500 families in Australia are ‘grandparent families’ meaning about one per cent of families with children aged 0-17 years have grandparents as ‘guardians’ of the children. The actual number of children in kinship care is likely to be much higher.

Kinship care may be a voluntary and short-term solution to meet a particular family need. Or it can be more complex: a ‘last resort’ that is either a long-term arrangement or for an uncertain period.  Illness, injury or disability, death, imprisonment, family violence, mental health problems or drug and alcohol abuse are some of the circumstances that lead grandparents to make this choice.

Not a new idea

In pre-industrial Western societies and in many traditional societies today, multi-generation households are common. Extended family play an important role in rearing children, grandparents often are at the centre of the family’s economic and social life. They may care for children, manage the household, grow and cook food, thereby freeing parents and other family members to undertake paid work, sometimes at great distance from the household.
 
Various patterns of kinship care are found in Australian Indigenous communities, and countries such as Vietnam, China, India, as well as parts of Africa and South America. 

Whatever the reason, and even if for a temporary time, it means significant changes to your life at every level: from your living arrangements and relationships to your financial affairs.

At first

When your grandchild first comes into your care they are experiencing rapid changes and are likely to express their 
distress through actions. Behavioural problems, bed wetting or night terrors are common.

• You need patience and support through this period 
• They need security and warmth as well as clear boundaries
• Try to keep the rules simple at first, while you build a trusting relationship
• Remember to have fun together! Put aside a little time to enjoy each other’s company, do something fun and get to know each other

Help Available

• There are some practical resources to help grandparents and grandchildren to adapt to care arrangements.  For example, When the children arrive s a resource book that provides practical advice and information to grandparents and kinship carers who take on the raising of children, particularly as a result of the parent's substance abuse. Free copies are available by contacting the Mirabel Foundation: mirabel@mirabelfoundation.org.au
• For other examples visit the FRSA Resource Directory or Family Relationships Online. 
• Parenting resource services can provide short-term help and advice eg. on child care or schools in your area, government support, tips on children’s developmental stages as well as ideas and activities available in your community.
• Seniors.gov.au is the online resource site for people aged over 50 years which currently includes a list of grandparent support programs in every state and territory. 
• Grandparents Australia is a national network representing the interests of grandparents, call 03 9372 2422.
• Playgroup Australia has an online directory of playgroups across Australia.
• Family Relationships Online provides all families (whether together or separated) with access to information about family relationship issues, ranging from building better relationships to dispute resolution.
• The Raising Children website provides comprehensive, practical, expert child health and parenting information and activities covering children aged 0-8 years
• Centrelink has online information for grandparents caring for grandchildren - this includes information about family payments and assistance with the costs of raising children, including child care benefit.

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