Grandparents as carers

1. Grandparents as carers Prue Warrilow Families Australia Board member

2. Grandparents as carers • Child care while parents retain full custody and responsibility for children • Legal custody • Informal custody

3. Type of care used (Child Care Australia, Cat No. 4402.0, ABS, 2006) Total children: 1,249,300 Total children: 1,856,700

4. Children aged 0-12 years (Child Care Australia, Cat No. 4402.0, ABS, 2006)

5. Cost of care • 96.0% of grandparents provide care for free • Average weekly long day care fee - $208 (private) and $211 (non-profit) (2004 Census of Child Care Services, FaCSIA, 2006)

6. Informal care - issues • Blackmail? • “I’ve brought up 4 children. I spent my life tending to their every need. Now they’re all married & no longer my responsibility, but they are furious. I don’t have the same interest in, or time for, their children.”(The Australian, 12 Sept 2006) • Pros & cons (Grandparents and young children project, ECA & COTA National Seniors, 2005) • Focus on relationship with grandchildren • Age, physical limitations, tiredness, lack of sleep, competing demands – grand children, parents and spouse

7. Informal care – ways forward? (Grandparents and young children project, ECA & COTA National Seniors, 2005) • Recognition and respect for role • Financial assistance to reimburse cost of activities • Grandparent playgroups and similar

8. Accessing children’s services • Lack of quality children’s services that parents trust may mean using grandparents • May mask demand and lack of choice for quality community owned services • If grandparents are not coping and need support this may be an extra and different demand on children’s services, if children are using a mix of formal and informal care • Grandparent care should not be seen as an alternative to supporting quality community owned children's services

9. Children’s services issues • Priority of access • Status of custody A grandparent recently got temporary custody of her 2 young grandchildren while their mother went to rehabilitation. She was working full-time, but had to reduce to 3 days. Three days of child care fees for 2 children meant she was just breaking even. They had been saving for a caravan for retirement. CCB was not given as she needed to confirm they had been immunized and this could not be done as the children were still on their mother's Medicare card. It was a cycle of phone calls and brick walls with different departments. It is all sorted now but she has had to take leave without pay till the end of the year. (city child care centre)

10. Priority of access - FaCSIA • Children at risk • Children with parents in the paid workforce or preparing to enter the paid workforce • Children or parents with additional needs • Children with parents not in the paid workforce

11. Children’s services issues • Affordability and Child Care Benefit (CCB) Single mother with mental illness and three children. DoCS wanted to take the children from the mother. Grandmother took on the three children and they moved here from Sydney. Lots of issues for them in terms of getting permissions, forms signed, immunisation status, parent permissions, access to info etc. As there was not a formal court or DoCS order, the matter was not formally organised. Grandma arrived at our centre saying “please help me”. As the children were not locals, and there were no formal orders  the system did not work so well - money problems as well as general child stress.  We used SCCB (child at risk) for first three months to cover her and get the children into care immediately. By the end of 13 weeks we had worked out the problems. However Grandma could not cope with the extra responsibility and workload and eventually children went into foster care in this area. (country child care centre)

12. What does it take to work? Aboriginal family with three children under six, parents with drug abuse issues unable to cope, DoCS removed little ones and placed them with grandma. Grandma works in Centrelink, so was able to ensure many of the systems and processes were OK. DoCS OK’d emergency placement at [child care centre] for the children to start as over license emergency placement. Grandmother & grandfather both work so children in care three days per week. No real issues regarding child care – DoCS referred them, approved over license places as needed, GCCB approved quickly and efficiently. (country child care centre)

13. Financial assistance “Guardians, including foster parents and grandparents, responsible for the day-to-day care of children/grandchildren may be eligible for Family Assistance and should contact the Family Assistance Office for more information.”(http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/payments/qual_how_ccb.htm, accessed 13/10/06) “Who is exempt from the work/training/study test? Your family will be exempt from the work/training/study test if: Either member of a couple is the grandparent or great grandparent, and the primary carer of the child”(http://www.familyassist.gov.au/internet/fao/fao1.nsf/content/-work_study_test.htm, accessed 13/10/06) • GCCB for 24 to 50 hours of care per week