Comment
Workshops to share grandparenting experiences
Grandparents around Australia are invited to share their experiences of raising their grandchildren, to assist the Federal Government in making it easier for all grandparents performing this vital, responsible and satisfying task. PATRICIA REEVE, Director of the COTA National Seniors Policy Secretariat, who is supervising the project, reports on its progress and calls for grandparents to participate. This can be by attending workshops, completing a questionnaire based on workshop discussions, or just sharing their own experiences.
Around Australia, many grandparents are taking on a significant, sometimes full time role in raising their grandchildren. This can be because the children’s parents can no longer care for them, for example through death, incapacitation or drug or alcohol abuse. Grandparents can suffer considerable strain as they cope with often traumatised children and their own grief and loss, and anger.
These grandparents may have other children still at home; they may be enjoying freedom from family responsibilities or success at work; they may be looking forward to a well-earned retirement. Suddenly they could be facing major upheaval and considerable extra costs associated with raising children, especially financial, legal and social costs, with little or no outside support. They may feel that no one else can understand what they are going through; they may be worried about other people’s reaction to what has happened in their family. And they have to work their way, often unassisted, through the bureaucratic minefield of family law, taxation and family support payments. Grandparents raising grandchildren can end up feeling isolated and overwhelmed, not always aware what support may be available or how to get it.
In most States there are organisations that provide some support for grandparents in this situation. These groups have usually been set up by grandparents themselves, to share information and support, but they may not have the capacity to offer all the resources that grandparents need.
Both Federal and State governments are concerned about the difficulties faced by grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. They recognise that these grandparents are doing a wonderful job keeping their grandchildren within the family, with little demand on government services.
Government project
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Hon Larry Anthony has asked COTA National Seniors to work with grandparents and their support groups to identify:
&Mac183; Existing support mechanisms and additional support that may be required
&Mac183; Financial and legal issues facing grandparents
&Mac183; Any concerns about the wellbeing of their grandchildren
We are to report to the Minister on the outcomes by the end of June 2003.
Tell us what you think
COTA National Seniors is working with the Councils on the Ageing (COTAs) in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia and grandparent support groups in those States to prepare the report. We invite grandparents and their support groups to participate in a program of structured workshops to collect information, ideas and recommendations to go into the report.
We realise that some grandparents, especially those in isolated and remote areas will not be able to attend the workshops. We hope to hold at least one residential camp with activities for the children while the grandparents participate in a similar workshop process.
The State COTAs will publicise information about dates and locations for the workshops and camps, so grandparents interested in attending should contact their State COTA office or the project officer, Margot Fitzpatrick on (03) 9820 2655, at Level 2, 3 Bowen Crescent, Melbourne 3004, email mfitzpatrick@cota.org.au
COTA National Seniors also invites individual grandparents and support groups to put forward their opinions and ideas. They can answer a simple questionnaire based on the questions discussed at the workshops or they can tell their own story about their experiences of raising grandchildren. If you are interested, please contact the COTA office in your State and Territory. (In Victoria 9654 4443.)
