Grandparent carers miss out

Grandparents
who are raising their grandchildren miss out on financial and practical
support, according to a report launched by the Family Rights Group this week.

Bereavement,
ill-health or family breakdown can cause grandparents to step in to care for
children. But these carers often miss out on available services, experience confusion
over responsibilities, and lack legal security.

The
report, which examined the situation of 180 grandparent carers, found that 85
per cent of those surveyed had made financial sacrifices, while 71 per cent of
respondents had suffered financial hardship.

Confusion
among health professionals, teachers and social services often arises over the
division of responsibility between parents and grandparents, the report says.

The
study also detailed a lack of information, language barriers, and isolation from
mainstream services which often caused particular problems for grandparents
from ethnic minority backgrounds. Almost half of the grandparents who were
surveyed were having to deal with long-term health problems.

The
Family Rights Group is calling for uniform financial provision for grandparent
carers and a right to assessment of need and support.

–
Second Time Around – A Survey of Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren
from 020 7923 2628.