GRG - GRANDparents Raising Grandchildren logo    GRANDparents raising Grandchildren - where do you go for HELP? www.raisinggrandchildren.com.au  

GRG - GRANDparents raising Grandchildren logo   News + Upcoming Events

parentSCOPE - Coaching parents to stay on track - Shoalhaven area
parentSCOPE offers innovative coaching for parents, professionals and the workplace. Certified coaches are trained in the Parent as Coach approach. Bookings essential.

For more info here

Granny Mae's Playgroup - Springwood, 13th November 2009
A meeting place for grandparent carers and/or guardians to interact with each other and their grandchildren over morning tea and lunch.

For full details click here

Grandparenting Alliance Update
Read the new Media release here

The Grandparenting Alliance established in September 2008 has expanded its terms of reference under a new name: Grandparents, Relatives and Kinship Caring Alliance. Meeting attendees have contributed to a submission made to the NSW Government Working Party dealing with Child Protection recommendations within the Wood Report on DoCS. To view the Wood Report click here www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/cpsinquiry

The Alliance, which meets bi-monthly at COTA NSW, is currently reviewing information regarding the recent media release by the Attorney General's Department on New Resources to Assist Grandparents (click to view attached pdf). Those grandparents who are denied a relationship with their grandchildren will potentially benefit from by the government's commitment to greater exploration and focus regarding the importance of grandparents and other extended family members in the lives of children. It is also liaising with the Legal Aid commission regarding their development of an information package for grandparents.

For further information regarding the Alliance please contact COTA NSW on 9286 3860.

Introducing a new free program called CARE for Families
CARE for Families provides case management, and psycho-education to people with a mental illness and their families, carers and friends for 9 months.

CARE for Families Program Outcomes:
· Enhance well-being and family stability
· Improve knowledge and understanding of mental illness
· Improve communication and problem solving skills
· Increase awareness of client’s knowledge of services.

Family Case Managers speak Mandarin, Arabic and English.
Location: Enfield (near Burwood) and Rockdale.
For more information: Please contact Hoda Kobeissi on 9745 1529

GRG - GRANDparents raising Grandchildren logo   Past Events

Kinship Carer Workshop: Grief and Loss - Penrith, 21st October 2009
Connecting Carers NSW in conjunction with the Springwood Neighbourhood Centre Cooperative are holding a unique day designed especially for Kinship Carers to explore grief and loss.

For full details click here

Grandparents Day Out 31 March 09
A morning of fun and information is being held by the Drummoyne Community Centre in association with Burwood Council for grandparents with grandchildren between the ages of 0 -6 years. Take your grandchildren and enjoy! To find out more details click here

‘POSITIVE PARENTING Program’ Seminar Series - 16, 23, 30th September 2008
A ‘Positive Parenting Program’ Seminar Series for Parents and Guardians of Children 12-17 years old, is being held at the Earlwood Caring Community Centre in September -
click here for more info

KINSHIP CARE WORKSHOP - 15th October 2008
The Mirabel Fundation invites you to a Kinship Care Workshop - click here for more info

Fun4Kids Festival
Australia's best children's festival, Fun4Kids is 8 days of seriously good fun on the Great Ocean Road from Sunday 29th June to Sunday 6th July. The massive 2.5 acre indoor village will play host to the finest local and international child entertainers as well as offering cutting edge music and theatre workshops, all for kids.

Address    Corner of Liebig and Timor Streets, Warrnambool
Phone       (03) 5562 4044
Enquiries  
fun4kids@warrnambool.vic.gov.au
Website     www.fun4kids.com.au

May 08 - Grandparenting Forum NSW 2008 - a Huge Success!

The Grandparenting Forum NSW 2008 held in April was a huge success. Thank you to all those who contributed time and energy.

Over 200 participants attended with a mix of grandparents and service providers sharing information and working together thus ensuring the objectives of the event were reached. Indigenous grandparent representatives came from both regional and city areas and all states other than the Northern Territory were able to contribute to the base of knowledge.

While speakers delivered information from which to generate discussion, it was the grandparents who shared their stories that made the greatest impact. An understanding was reached of the issues faced by those grandparents raising their grandchildren, those denied access to their grandchildren and those providing informal child care.

The comment was made by one grandparent –

“What a privilege to be in a huge auditorium with so many grandparents and to feel at one with all of them. I identified closely with the experiences of grandparents raising their grandchildren and now have a greater understanding of the other situations and have had my eyes opened to the need to share our different experiences to aid our understanding of each other... What came out of the conference for me was a huge uplifting of spirit … and a powerful experience of solidarity.”

Outcomes of the Forum

1. A resounding agreement was reached that an Association/Affiliation of Grandparenting Support Groups and Services of some kind should be established and support was given to the proposal put forward by one granddaughter for a National Grandparent’s Day.

2. Recommendations from Workshops have provided information that will be compiled into a policy document for distribution later this year.

3. Requests have been made for further information sessions and networks of grandparents and service providers have been strengthened and broadened.

Papers delivered at the Forum will be available on this website by the end of May 2008.

Prof. Bettina Cass Research Presentation from the Forum

The Social Policy Research Centre at the University of NSW is undertaking a new research project into grandparents raising their grandchildren. This project has been funded by the Australian Research Council and will take place over a three year time period.

If you are a grandparent raising your grandchild or grandchildren and would like to participate in the research please contact Megan Blaxland of the Social Policy Research Centre email: m.blaxland@unsw.edu.au

The research is exploring grandparent/grandchildren relationships where grandparents are custodial carers in formal and informal arrangements in Indigenous and non-Indigenous families, in NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The research is focusing on the socio-economic circumstances of the families; the pathways into the care-giving relationship, the health and well-being of grandparents and grandchildren; identifying access to policies, programs and income support and any gaps in provision.

To view Prof. Bettina Cass's Powerpoint Presentation(1.7MB) from the Forum click here.
If you have an Apple Mac you will need Apple Keynote or MS Office for Mac.
 

August 07- Setting up Support Groups

What can we do to Help? - Setting up Support Group Services
Information for setting up support group services in NSW, is now available on this web site,
click here
 

May 07 Update

Changes to non-parental carers allowance
A fact sheet is available on the DoCS website regarding the new Supported Care Allowance which brings grandparents and kinship carer support into line with Foster Carer payments. Go to
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/html/foster_care/new_rates.htm


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