Senate Enquiry October 2014 (Grandparents Raising Grandchildren) Recommendations Synopsis After over a decade of hard work, this is a breakthrough in gaining assistance at Federal level for grandparents raising grandchildren full-time. Your support now is more vital than ever before. Don t let this opportunity slip away.. Compiled by Maree Lubach President QCOGs Chair KinKare mlubch@optusnet.com.au
Foreword In October 2014, the Australian Senate handed down its report into Grandparents who take primary responsibility for raising their grandchildren. Over a period of many years now, grandparents and their supporters have been making representations to politicians of all party s and at all levels. In 2006 it resulted in a change to Federal Family Law to included grandparents specifically and has been the catalyst for many other important changes in laws in various States. The recent report from the Senate enquiry, though, is far more significant as it embraces all manner of support including the financial support of grandparents. For this very reason, it is vital that everyone does their little bit to make sure these recommendations are expressed in law. At the moment they are strong suggestions from the Committee to the law makers, our local Members of Parliament and State Senators, to consider. There were 176 submissions received to this enquiry and, although offered an opportunity, we were not able to give evidence this time. It sounds like many voices, but in relation to the grandparents needing assistance, it is quite a small number. Unless a great many more voices stand up and demand action, the impetus of this report could be lost. Apart from ours, of course, one of the most powerful submissions was made from the Human Rights Commission. I have copied a part of the introduction to that submission and reproduced it in this document. What can you do? Make an appointment to see your local Federal Member of Parliament and tell him how important these recommendations are to you and explain why. Write a letter, by hand preferably, to your local Federal Member outlining how these issues concern you or your family and friends Do the same with your local State Member of Parliament and ask them to support the suggestions made, particularly the ones for COAG. (A joint State and Federal body.) Talk to your Local Council representative and ask if they have a policy to follow these recommendations Talk to local Community groups; Church, School P&C, Service Club, or Neighbourhood Ctr group, anyone and everyone you can think of and ask them to do the same. Ask your local Doctor, Chemist, Specialist, and School Teacher to put it to their professional bodies to act. Contact your local newspaper and ask them to write an article about how the Senate enquiry will change the lives of their readers. Get everyone you know, family, friends, neighbours or just acquaintances to follow the steps above Do everything you possibly can to enlighten the public about the importance of these recommendations to ordinary citizens doing it tough. Whatever you can do, please DO IT NOW! No matter how small you think your contribution might be, it is enormously important. I have included some helpful information for writing letters after the recommendations. Please help us to change the lives of thousands of Grandparent Carers, and Great uncles & aunts etc, and Grandchildren who parents are absent from their lives. Yours in anticipation, Maree Lubach The full report, approx. 145 pages, can be viewed at the following link. http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/senate/community_affairs/grandparent_carers/~/media/com mittees/clac_ctte/grandparent_carers/report/report.pdf
Senate Enquiry into Grandparents Raising Grandchildren LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1 8.7 The committee recommends that: the Department of Social Services and the Department of Human Services initiate a comprehensive review of support provided to grandparents raising grandchildren. As part of the review: the Department of Human Services establish a sub-committee within the Older Australian Working Group to enable ongoing engagement with grandparents raising grandchildren; the Department of Human Services puts in place and maintains processes to more accurately collect and review data received from the Grandparent Adviser 1800 telephone number; the Department of Social Services' Children's and Families Secretaries' Group, as the primary platform for jurisdictions to collaborate on innovative approaches to child and family issues, makes grandparents raising grandchildren a priority topic for discussion at a meeting to be specifically convened to address this issue or at its next meeting; and the Department of Social Services' Children's and Families Secretaries' Group, using an appropriate model, undertake a trial programme that makes available to grandparents vouchers to assist meeting the cost of educational tutorial expenses, including the cost of ICT training for grandparents raising teenage grandchildren. Recommendation 2 8.9 The committee recommends that the Department of Human Services investigate means of identifying kinship care arrangements in applications for Commonwealth benefits, with a view to better identifying grandparent-headed families to whom financial support(s) should be provided, subject to any eligibility criteria. Recommendation 3 8.11 The committee recommends that the Department of Human Services review the number and geographical allocation of grandparent advisor positions, with a view to ensuring: that needs are being met in high-demand service areas; the specific needs of grandparents raising grandchildren in rural and regional Australia are being adequately met; and if required, increasing the number of grandparent advisors employed under the Grandparent Advisor Program. Recommendation 4 8.13 The committee recommends that the Australian Government considers: providing dedicated funding for community legal centres and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, to enable the better provision of legal assistance to grandparents who have taken on the primary care of their grandchildren; and funding for relationship supports and services, to assist grandparents raising grandchildren to better manage intra-family relationships which are complicated by the assumption of primary care responsibilities. Recommendation 5 8.15 The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, investigate how access to and the availability of professional counselling services can be enhanced for grandparent-headed families.
Recommendation 6 8.17 The committee recommends that the Australian Bureau of Statistics: include a question, or set of questions, in the Census of Population and Housing, commencing in 2016, to identify those households in which kinship carers have primary responsibility for children or young people, and the carer's relationship to that person; and begin compilation of a longitudinal dataset for grandparent-headed families, with a view to identifying relevant support and service needs, including for grandparents caring for grandchildren with disability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grandparents raising grandchildren. Recommendation 7 8.18 The committee recommends that the Australian Institute of Family Studies: include a longitudinal study in its Research Directions 2015-18 for endorsement by its Advisory Council and the Australian Government; or alternatively, conduct: a national, cross-sectional, probability telephone survey of grandparents, including a nested sample of former and current grandparents raising grandchildren; and a separate qualitative study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grandparents raising grandchildren, to better inform government policies and practices which support grandparent-headed families. Recommendation 8 8.20 The committee recommends that, the Australian Government, through the COAG process: convene a national forum specifically for grandparents raising grandchildren and their local support groups, non-government organisations and representatives from the Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and that this forum: investigate a means of recognising the role and contribution of grandparents raising their grandchildren throughout Australia; and consider effective avenues for raising community awareness and understanding of the role and contribution of grandparents who have the primary responsibility for raising their grandchildren. Recommendation 9 8.22 The committee recommends that state and territory governments consider: extending foster care allowances to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren without orders from a court exercising family law jurisdiction or care and protection jurisdiction; and investigating means of facilitating contact arrangements between children in grandparent-headed families and their birth parents. Recommendation 10 8.23 The committee recommends that state and territory governments consider: reviewing the rates of financial assistance paid to grandparents as out-of-home carers, with particular consideration to addressing the disparity in financial support between foster carers and grandparents raising grandchildren; the provision of training to grandparents raising their grandchildren, to better support them in their daily parenting roles; the provision of respite services to grandparents raising their grandchildren, with a focus on enhancing and extending those services to all grandparents raising grandchildren; the formal assessment of kinship care placements within six months of the commencement of a placement, with a view to ascertaining the specific supports and services required by a grandparent raising grandchildren; and existing policies and practices relating to the priority allocation of public housing, with a view to expediting accommodation suitable to the needs of grandparent-headed families.
Recommendation 11 8.25 The committee recommends that the Australian Government, in co-operation with state and territory governments, examine increased and more certain funding for voluntary support groups which provide peer support to grandparents raising grandchildren to better facilitate the establishment, maintenance and operations of such groups. Recommendation 12 8.27 The committee recommends that the COAG give attention to: collaborating on the development of guidelines, protocols and templates to ensure consistent implementation of Standard 4 of the National Standards for Out-of-home Care, which provides for each child and young person to have an individualised education plan; and considering facilitating education and awareness training within each jurisdiction on the special circumstances and needs of grandparents raising grandchildren. Recommendation 13 8.28 The committee recommends that the COAG Education Council initiates a review into the practical supports and services that could be provided to children in out-of-home care (including grandparents raising grandchildren), to promote positive outcomes in education. Recommendation 14 8.30 The committee recommends that the COAG, in conjunction with state-based community service providers: review the information currently available to grandparents raising grandchildren in relation to government and non-government supports and services; develop, and update as required, a comprehensive guide to the supports and services available to grandparents raising grandchildren in each jurisdiction; make the comprehensive supports and services guide widely available across a range of mediums and in a variety of formats, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grandparents raising grandchildren; review, and develop if necessary, in consultation with the relevant courts, information materials that: identify and explain potential pathways for grandparents raising grandchildren who wish to formalise care arrangements for their grandchildren; and identify specific sources of potential legal assistance in each jurisdiction. Recommendation 15 8.32 The committee recommends that, through the COAG Health Council, governments consider enhancing the provision of mental health services for grandparent-headed families, with special attention given to grandchildren affected by trauma. Recommendation 16 8.34 The committee recommends that: the Third Action Plan 2015-2018 elevates the strategic and policy areas associated with grandparents raising grandchildren; as an initiative under the National Framework, governments explore options to improve mental health services for all family members, to support the family unit and prevent children from entering the outof-home care system; and governments recognise the special needs of and costs associated with raising children with disability, in determining eligibility for, and the extent of, supports and services provided to grandparents raising grandchildren.
Recommendation 17 8.36 The committee recommends that the COAG: explores options for providing informal grandparents raising grandchildren with access to legal assistance (including legal representation) in relation to the care arrangements for the grandchildren; affirms support for the Commonwealth's Informal Relative Caregiver's Statutory Declaration, with a view to implementing a consistent means of recognising informal grandparents raising grandchildren within and across jurisdictions; and investigates means of supporting informal grandparents raising grandchildren who initiate proceedings in the family law jurisdiction and the care and protection jurisdiction, including a more active role for child protection authorities and an enhanced role for mediation. Recommendation 18 8.37 The committee recommends that state and territory governments reconsider Recommendation 19-3 of the Australian Law Reform Commission and New South Wales Law Reform Commission's joint report Family Violence a National Legal Response, to enhance the assistance provided by child protection authorities to grandparents rearing grandchildren in the family law jurisdiction.
Extract from Human Rights Commission Submission 11. Grandmothers provide the majority of grandparent care. As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Australia has a responsibility pursue all appropriate means of eliminating discrimination against women. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has recognised the needs of older women, specifically grandmothers, stating: parties should adopt special programmes tailored to the physical, mental, emotional and health needs of older women, with special focus on women belonging to minorities and women with disabilities, as well as women tasked with caring for grandchildren and other young family dependants. 12. The right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions, is recognised in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This right is a fundamental human right which Australia has committed to uphold by ratifying the ICESCR. Providing appropriate and accessible support to grandparent carers and their grandchildren is consistent with Australia s obligations, especially given the comparative disadvantage of families in which grandparent/s provide the primary care for a child. 13. The right to an adequate standard of living is echoed in article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). While the primary responsibility for caring for a child falls on parents or carers, as a party to the CRC, Australia has undertaken to assist those responsible for the child to implement this right by providing material assistance and support. Article 18 requires Australia to assist parents and legal guardians in their child-rearing responsibilities and article 26 recognises the right of children to benefit from social security. 14.Article 19 of the CRC is about protecting children from violence, abuse and negligence. While, there is no official Australian data, the reasons grandparents may assume responsibility for their grandchildren are often connected with parents capacity to provide suitable and adequate care. Research conducted in Australian Human Rights Commission Inquiry into Grandparents who take primary responsibility for raising their grandchildren 20 March 2014 2013 by the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) Grandparents raising grandchildren: Towards recognition, respect and reward states that much of the local and international literature indicates that parental substance abuse underlies much of the growth in kinship care in recent years. Other reasons include: risk of child abuse or neglect, death of the parent(s), parental incarceration, parents mental health problems and disability of grandchildren.
Sample Letter This is a sample of the setting out and wording you may like to base your letter on. Use your own words and talk from the heart. Make sure your letter is short and to the point. (One page should be quite long enough; more than 2 means you need to go back and take out something. Busy politicians will not read anything that is lengthy.) Everything written in blue type must be deleted and your own information used. The words in black are a guide. Write the full title and name of your local Member here Write the full address of Electoral Office here Write your full name here Write your address here Leave a line or two and write the date using words for the month Dear (Use your politicians full name unless you know them.) I am a grandparent who has been raising my grandchildren for years now. (or relative or friend, or someone concerned about this issue and say you are interested). Recently I was informed about the recommendations the Senate Reference Committee made after their inquiry into grandparents raising grandchildren. The report and recommendations are very important to many grandparents struggling to give their grandchildren a better start in life than they would have had without us. All of the recommendations are worthy of implementing, but the one about financial matters, number 123 or whichever one you feel most important is particularly important to me because (Give a very brief account of your circumstances here. State the primary cause eg drug addiction, death of your own child, imprisonment or mental health issues. Mention the source of your income and the number of children in your care. Tell the MP the most stressful issue for you eg school fees or Centrelink forms or lack of accurate information or perhaps missing friends who understand.) The implementation of these recommendations would improve the quality of life of my grandchildren and me enormously. It would also give us a sense of worthiness which we often find missing. I would like to know how you see the report and its possible impact on others like us in your electorate too. Additionally, I am asking you to please give deep and sincere consideration to passing Bills which may develop as a result of the enquiry report. If you could keep me informed of matters effecting grandparents in my situation, or similar, as they come up in Parliament I would be very grateful. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my letter and look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Sign your name here Print it here Print carefully; your phone number and email address if you have one.
Forty Fourth Parliament: Volume 15, 01 October 2014 Mc PHERSON, Qld Andrews, Mrs Karen Lesley LP Ground Floor The Point 47 Watts Drive (PO Box 409), Varsity Lakes Qld 4227 Tel : (07) 5580 9111, Fax : (07) 5580 9700 E-mail: karen.andrews.mp@aph.gov.au Fisher, Qld *Brough, The Hon Malcolm LP Thomas (Mal) The Edge, Upper Level East, (PO Box 1224), Unit 11, 10 Lake Kawana Boulevard, Bokarina Qld 4575 Tel : (07) 5493 5556, Fax : (07) 5493 8557 E-mail: Mal.Brough.MP@aph.gov.au Wright, Qld Buchholz, Mr Scott LP Government Whip 21 William Street (PO Box 628), Beaudesert Qld 4285 Tel : (07) 5541 0150, Fax : (07) 5541 4150 E-mail: scott.buchholz.mp@aph.gov.au Griffith, Qld *Butler, Ms Terri Megan ALP 630 Wynnum Road (PO Box 476), Morningside Qld 4170 Tel : (07) 3899 4031, Fax : (07) 3899 5755 Home : (07) 3899 3765 E-mail: Terri.Butler.MP@aph.gov.au Rankin, Qld Chalmers, Dr James Edward ALP (Jim) Shop 65 Logan Central Plaza (PO Box 349), Wembley Road, Woodridge Qld 4114 Tel : (07) 3299 5910, Fax : (07) 3208 8744 E-mail: Jim.Chalmers.MP@aph.gov.au Dawson, Qld Christensen, Mr George Robert Nats The Nationals Deputy Whip 2/21 Milton Street (PO Box 1697), Mackay Qld 4740 Tel : (07) 4944 0662, Fax : (07) 4944 0575 Toll Free : 1300 301 979 E-mail: george.christensen.mp@aph.gov.au Moncrieff, Qld Ciobo, The Hon Steven Michele LP Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer Ground Floor West (PO Box 4922, Gold Coast Mail Centre Qld 9726), 67 Thomas Drive, Chevron Island Qld 4217 Tel : (07) 5504 6000, Fax : (07) 5504 6944 E-mail: Steven.Ciobo.MP@aph.gov.au The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia House of Representatives List of Members Dickson, Qld Dutton, The Hon Peter Craig LP Minister for Health, Minister for Sport 3/199 Gympie Road (PO Box 2012), Strathpine Qld 4500 Tel : (07) 3205 9977, Fax : (07) 3205 5111 E-mail: Peter.Dutton.MP@aph.gov.au Leichhardt, Qld Entsch, The Hon Warren George LP Mac Donnells Building, 102 Grafton Street (PO Box 14, Bungalow), Cairns Qld 4870 Tel : (07) 4051 2220, Fax : (07) 4031 1592 E-mail: Warren.Entsch.MP@aph.gov.au Brisbane, Qld Gambaro, The Hon Teresa LP 209 Days Road (PO Box 98), Grange Qld 4051 Tel : (07) 3356 1555, Fax : (07) 3356 6711 E-mail: Teresa.Gambaro.MP@aph.gov.au Petrie, Qld Howarth, Mr Luke Ronald LP 40 Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf Beach Qld 4019 Tel : (07) 3284 8008, Fax : (07) 3284 8002 E-mail: Luke.Howarth.MP@aph.gov.au Herbert, Qld Jones, Mr Ewen Thomas LP Nathan Business Centre (PO Box 226), Corner Ross River Road & Nathan Street, Aitkenvale Qld 4814 Tel : (07) 4725 2066, Fax : (07) 4725 2088 E-mail: ewen.jones.mp@aph.gov.au Kennedy, Qld Katter, The Hon Robert Carl AUS (Bob) 1. Innisfail: Corner Edith and Owen Streets (PO Box 1638), Innisfail Qld 4860 Tel : (07) 4061 6066, Fax : (07) 4061 6566 2. Mount Isa: 42-44 Simpson Street (PO Box 2130), Mount Isa Qld 4825 Tel : (07) 4743 3534, Fax : (07) 4743 0189 E-mail: Bob.Katter.MP@aph.gov.au Bowman, Qld Laming, Mr Andrew LP 10/32 Middle Street (PO Box 8024), Cleveland Qld 4163 Tel : (07) 3821 0155, Fax : (07) 3821 3799 E-mail: Andrew.Laming.MP@aph.gov.au Capricornia, Qld Landry, Ms Michelle Leanne Nats The Swan (PO Box 1919), 159 Denison Street (Cnr Denham St), Rockhampton Qld 4700 Tel : (07) 4922 6604, Fax : (07) 4922 6607 E-mail: Michelle.Landry.MP@aph.gov.au
Groom, Qld Macfarlane, The Hon Ian Elgin LP Minister for Industry 216 Margaret Street (PO Box 777), Cnr Margaret & Duggan Sts, Toowoomba Qld 4350 Tel : (07) 4632 4144, Fax : (07) 4638 2147 E-mail: Ian.Macfarlane.MP@aph.gov.au Blair, Qld Neumann, The Hon Shayne Kenneth ALP Shop 28-29, 68 Hunter Street (PO Box 5117), Brassall Qld 4305 Tel : (07) 3201 5300, Fax : (07) 3201 5311 E-mail: Shayne.Neumann.MP@aph.gov.au Flynn, Qld O'Dowd, Mr Kenneth Desmond (Ken) Nats 1. Gladstone: 76 Goondoon Street, Gladstone Qld 4680 Tel : (07) 4972 5465, Fax : (07) 4972 0888 2. Emerald: 2/115 Egerton Street (PO Box 432), Emerald Qld 4720 Tel : (07) 4982 4266, Fax : (07) 4982 4025 E-mail: dowd.mp@aph.gov.au Fairfax, Qld Palmer, Mr Clive Frederick PUP 17 Southern Drive (PO Box 1978, Sunshine Plaza), Maroochydore Qld 4558 Tel : (07) 5479 2800, Fax : (07) 5443 5333 E-mail: palmer.fairfax@palmerunited.com Moreton, Qld Perrett, Mr Graham Douglas ALP Suite 106, Sunnybank Times Square (PO Box 419, Sunnybank Plaza), 250 McCullough Street, Sunnybank Qld 4109 Tel : (07) 3344 2622, Fax : (07) 3344 4276 E-mail: Graham.Perrett.MP@aph.gov.au Hinkler, Qld Pitt, Mr Keith John Nats Suite 1, City Centre Arcade (PO Box 535), Woongarra Street, Bundaberg Qld 4670 Tel : (07) 4152 0744, Fax : (07) 4153 1752 E-mail: Keith.Pitt.MP@aph.gov.au Ryan, Qld Prentice, Mrs Jane LP 636 Moggill Road, Chapel Hill Qld 4069(PO Box 704, Indooroopilly Qld 4068) Tel : (07) 3378 1599, Fax : (07) 3378 1399 E-mail: jane.prentice.mp@aph.gov.au Oxley, Qld Ripoll, The Hon Bernard Fernand (Bernie) ALP 255 Forest Lake Blvd (PO Box 4042), Forest Lake Qld 4078 Tel : (07) 38796440, Fax : (07) 38796441 E-mail: Bernie.Ripoll.MP@aph.gov.au Oxley, Qld Ripoll, The Hon Bernard Fernand (Bernie) ALP 255 Forest Lake Blvd (PO Box 4042), Forest Lake Qld 4078 Tel : (07) 38796440, Fax : (07) 38796441 E-mail: Bernie.Ripoll.MP@aph.gov.au Fadden, Qld Robert, The Hon Stuart Rowland LP Assistant Minister for Defence Unit 1, 110 Brisbane Road, Labrador Qld 4215(PO Box 733, Biggera Waters Qld 4216) Tel : (07) 5500 5919, Fax : (07) 5500 5484 E-mail: Stuart.Robert.MP@aph.gov.au Longman, Qld Roy, Mr Wyatt LP Unit 1, 260 Morayfield Road (PO Box 825), Morayfield Qld 4506 Tel : (07) 5428 7755, Fax : (07) 5428 6800 E-mail: wyatt.roy.mp@aph.gov.au Maranoa, Qld Scott, The Hon Bruce Craig Nats Deputy Speaker Dalby (main office): Suite 2, Foodworks Centre (PO Box 641), 59 Condamine Street, Dalby Qld 4405 Tel : (07) 4662 2715, Fax : (07) 4662 5149 Toll Free : 1300 301 964 Roma: 63 Arthur Street, Roma Qld 4455 Tel : (07) 4622 7166, Fax : (07) 4622 7066 E-mail: Bruce.Scott.MP@aph.gov.au Lilley, Qld Swan, The Hon Wayne Maxwell ALP 1162 Sandgate Road (PO Box 182), Nundah Qld 4012 Tel : (07) 3266 8244, Fax : (07) 3266 4263 E-mail: Wayne.Swan.MP@aph.gov.au Wide Bay, Qld Truss, The Hon Warren Errol Nats Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development 319 Kent Street (PO Box 283), Maryborough Qld 4650 Tel : (07) 4121 2936, Fax : (07) 4122 3968 E-mail: W.Truss.MP@aph.gov.au Forde, Qld van Manen, Mr Albertus Johannes (Bert) LP Tenancy 4/96 George Street (PO Box 884), Beenleigh Qld 4207 Tel : (07) 3807 6340, Fax : (07) 3807 1990 E-mail: bert.vanmanen.mp@aph.gov.au Bonner, Qld Vasta, Mr Ross Xavier LP 69 Clara Street, Wynnum Qld 4178 Tel : (07) 3893 3488, Fax : (07) 3893 3422 E-mail: Ross.Vasta.MP@aph.gov.au