Forum for grandparents raising grandchildren

A forum for grandparents raising grandchildren will be held at St John the Baptist Church Hall on Monday, October 13.

The forum will run from 9:30am to 12:30pm and is an initiative of the Grandparents Who Are Parenting group in Woy Woy and the Council on the Ageing.

Entitled "Where do we go from here?", the forum will address the needs of grandparents raising grandchildren, included support services that are needed and available.

The forum will tackle some of the issues involved for grandparents raising grandchildren, ranging from finances to health.

Financial issues included "insufficient information regarding guardianship allowance and foster parent payments; loss of retirement funds due to legal battles and often the need to modify the home".

There was a "loss of identity and recognition". Grandparents were "not the same as foster parents"; and suffered isolation from their peers and the loss of their retirement.

Health issues for grandparents included burn out "due to lack of respite childcare while coping with children who have experienced severe trauma in the family".

There was "impairment in function for children at school - lack of professional assistance and guidance".

The grandparents also suffered "lack of respect, feeling intimidated and not knowing where you stand with DoCS".

Some grandparents feared: "You never quite know when they might decide you are not coping and take the children from you too."

Anyone wanting to attend should book on 13 1444 by Thursday, October 9.

Press release, October 3