Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Are Being Bullied! Their Category Does Not Exist CATHY WOOD·SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017 The number of grandparents raising their grandchildren is a growing concern. They can become Kinship Carers with little or no notice at all from the DHS or other law authorities. Some grandparents have found themselves in the situation where there is an urgent need for them, to take the grandchildren from their own parents for the child’s own safety. Drugs, alcohol, family violence and mental health issues are the most likely cause of the children being placed into a safer environment with the grandparents. The majority of these children are already suffering from trauma or neglect and they need extra special care. It’s an uphill battle for the grandparents from day one. They are rehoming their grandchildren and need extra bedding, clothes and food. They dig deep into their own pockets immediately. As their lives and home are being turned upside down they need to seek extra financial assistance urgently. If the children are taken away by the law and placed with them, they will get a small carers payment from the DHS, but if they take them without the support of the law, they are not entitled to it, however they are entitled to many benefits from the government as long as they qualify. In saying that, most of the parents are still claiming benefits for these children. It can take months of convincing centrelink that the grandparents are now entitled to these payments and not the biological parents. It can also take years to get birth certificates, medicare cards and immunization records for the grandchildren. Centrelink do not have a grandparents raising grandchildren category, so they are slotted into a sole parents category and treated the same as a younger sole parent. This needs to change for obvious reasons that I will now try to make clear. First of all they are much older and cannot be treated as a younger person! The immediate emotional impact on the grandparent is being torn between their own child and the safety of their grandchildren. Their child is suffering from self abuse or mental health problems and they need help too. It can take years of suffering on behalf of the grandparent to finally let go of their own child and place their undivided attention to the grandchildren only, giving them an outcome of the possibility of a little less stress in their lives. Mean while the outside world are not aware of the ongoing abuse and threats to the grandparents that are coming from the parents and other relatives of the grandchildren. The grandparents can’t afford to move house and only a small minority can afford expensive security systems to feel a little bit safe. The physical impact on their bodies can be severe. Just imagine going from a light workout at the gym for a couple of days a week, then on to a full blown heavy workout 7 days a week. Your body is going to hurt no matter your age. Bending over, picking up, changing nappies, bathing, securing in car seats etc, are taking an impact on their body. They are now hurting both mentally and physically. During all of the above, they have discovered that the grandchildren they are keeping safe are not acting in a normal way. Most of them are suffering from separation anxiety, behavioral problems, regressed (gone backwards in their development), confusion and trauma! Just recognizing some of these problems requires a degree in psychology! Once recognized the very long and slow process of obtaining help and the healing (if possible) of the grandchild begins. Now I don’t want it to sound like they cannot do it, because they are doing it and doing it very well with little or no respite! For all of the reasons I have mentioned and so many more, these grandparents that are raising their grandchildren need a category within centrelink that recognizes and reflects their situation. Most have given up their full time jobs to take on the new job of raising their grandchildren. It would make complete sense to categorize them as foster parents and why not? As they are doing the same thing, but doing it much harder! As a sole parent recipient you are required to re enter the work force once the youngest child in your care turns a certain age, your category now becomes the new start allowance and your benefits are lowered dramatically! Grandparents can get exemptions from looking for work, which is reviewed over and over again! I call that being bullied, do this or you will lose your benefits! They have already given up their freedom, spent their savings, super and are selling their homes to support their grandchildren. Statistically the number of grandparents raising their grandchildren is unknown, new cases are opened weekly and older cases with an outcome of a permanent care order by the courts is closed which decreases the real number. The information given here in this letter has come from a private group of 230 (which grows by the day) grandparents Australia wide. I am one of those grandparents and I need my own category within centrelink, I don’t want to be bullied by them, I don’t need the extra stress, I just want to provide a safe and stable home for the innocent children whom happen to be my grandchildren. Let me get on with this job and stop the bullying! Written by Cathy Wood on behalf of all grandparents and other family members who should find them self, doing the selfless work of an Angel.