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M Myth Buster

Adapted from Department of Family & Community Services fact sheet

Grandparents as carers

Grandparents take on the role of primary carers of their grandchildren when the parents are no longer able to fulfill their parental responsibilities. Reasons include:

Grandparents who parent take on the role out of love and concern for the two generations involved, often at great personal cost. They are making an invaluable contribution to society, by:

It is only recently that their needs have begun to be recognised, with the establishment of support groups in most States and some specific but limited support services.

Although numbers of grandparents in Australia who are caring for their grandchildren appear to be on the rise, exact figures are unknown, because many arrangements are informal. Centrelink records show that 7,000 people aged over 60 receive FTB. This figure would include some grandparent carers, but does not include those grandparents who are less then 60 years of age.

In the USA, figures show that:

Foster care

Children may have been placed with their grandparents as a result of a care and protection order of some kind. Current policy in these situations emphasises family preservation, meaning that placement with relatives is preferred to residential care and foster care with non-family carers. In June 2001, just under 7,000 children around Australia were in the care of relatives; many of these would have been grandparents. Although these carers receive some financial assistance, many grandparents dislike the stigma and loss of control. Foster carers are required to consult their case worker when making any decision about a child's welfare, including getting a baby-sitter or choosing a school.

Legal custody

Many grandparents hope that they will only be carers temporarily, until the parents are again able to care for their children. Grandparents who decide to seek legal custody of their grandchildren:

Difficulties faced by grandparent carers

Caring for children full time can be exhausting for anyone. Children who come into the care of their grandparents may be experiencing emotional trauma (frequently shared by the grandparents themselves, as it is their family too), and have behavioural problems, as a result of the events that brought them there. Stress, exhaustion and illness are frequently reported by grandparent carers, many of whom have difficulties in accessing respite care. Becoming a primary carer may also result in a loss of social contacts for the grandparents, with fewer opportunities to mix with peers or to become involved in community activities.

Grandparents who find themselves caring for a second family face a number of financial issues:

Among some cultural groups and in many Indigenous families, grandparents routinely take on major caring responsibilities. A more flexible approach to sharing FTB may be appropriate for grandparents caring for grandchildren whose parents have drug or alcohol problems. However, it can only be successful when each member of the care group understands, and abides by the shared agreement to redirect funds when the children move out of their care.

Who to ask

  1. Centrelink for Family Tax Benefits and childcare benefits.
  2. Child Support Agency for payments from non-custodial birth parents.
  3. Information about support groups and support services for grandparent raising their grandchildren in your local area:

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Copyright © 2003 COTA National Seniors Partnership. All rights reserved.
Date: 22 May 2003
Revised:

COTA National Seniors Policy Secretariat (formerly Council on the Ageing (Australia))
Level 2, 3 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne Vic 3004
Tel (03) 9820 2655 Fax (03) 9820 9886
email cota@cota.org.au
www.cota.org.au