Grandparent carers: identifying health and social service gaps and needs

Abstract

Grandparent care is the fastest growing form of out of home care for Australian children. In Australia, tens of thousands of children are cared for under formal out-of-home-care arrangements, including foster care and relative/kin care (usually provided by grandparents); there are also many grandparent carers who provide care informally. Numbers of grandparent carers are anticipated to rise further due to a range of social factors which have increased the number of children coming into care, including parental substance misuse, mental illness, incarceration, and child abuse and neglect. Grandparent carers are an often hidden population and enmeshed within a complex policy and service framework. Understanding the specific needs of grandparent carers is essential to inform the development of improved, appropriate and sustainable policies and practices.

This paper will describe the comprehensive methodology and preliminary results from a cross-institutional, multi-level, mixed method research project focused on grandparent carers being conducted by Wanslea (a non-profit service provider), Edith Cowan University, and Curtin University in Western Australia. The project incorporates a state-wide survey of grandparent carers to identify and prioritise system issues faces by grandcarer families and explore the impact of caring on mental and physical health. Interviews and focus groups are also being held with service providers working with grandparent carers focussed on policy and service delivery accessibility, gaps and needs. Finally, the voices of grandchildren from grandcarer families will be heard through the evaluation of leadership camps providing respite and skill development. The project has a particular focus on the needs of grandparent carers from diverse and disadvantaged backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, rural and remote areas, and grandparents caring for children with special needs.