Ursula Stephens (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition (Social and Community Affairs)) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes:

(i)

the growing incidence of, and pressures on, grandparents who are being called upon to resume the role of parenting of grandchildren because of family tragedies, family breakdown, or the devastating impact of drug or alcohol abuse,

(ii)

the important role played by community organisations and support services in highlighting these issues and seeking funding for services, and

(iii)

the fundamental role many grandparents play in holding family units together, and their struggle to provide a safe, secure and supportive environment for their grandchildren;

(b)

acknowledges:

(i)

the support currently provided by government departments and agencies,

(ii)

the contribution of peak organisations, including research and reports developed by such bodies as Families Australia (Grandparenting: present and future, January 2007) and, in the Australian Capital Territory, the Canberra Mothercraft Society Inc (Grandparents parenting children because of alcohol and other drugs, 2006), and

(iii)

calls to achieve substantive improvements in quality of life for grandparents and the children in their care by advocating for legislative recognition of these particular family units and their unique situations;

(c)

recognises:

(i)

the need for relevant, current and accessible information as soon as children arrive,

(ii)

the potential for significant financial hardship and compromise when they take on parenting of grandchildren,

(iii)

the need for access to affordable legal advice and support,

(iv)

that parenting over the age of 55 years has significant health impacts,

(v)

the significant contribution grandparents make to the social capital of their communities and the nation, and

(vi)

the need for further research to identify the extent of grandparent families, particularly Indigenous grandparent families; and

(d)

calls for improved responses by government to these issues, including in relation to:

(i)

accessibility of relevant information and advice,

(ii)

consideration of financial implications,

(iii)

legal complexities and costs,

(iv)

health impacts on grandparents and children,

(v)

impact on grandparents and their contribution to society, and

(vi)

the need for further research.

Question agreed to.