CAMPAIGNING
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Grandparents and Extended Kin
The group is chaired by Baroness Greengross (Crossbench), Vice Chair John Leech MP (Liberal Democrat), Treasurer Tim
Boswell MP (Conservative), and Secretary Hywel Francis MP (Labour), ensuring support from all the major political parties.
The group understand that grandparents, aunts, uncles, step-grandparents,
god-parents and family friends all contribute to the rich tapestry of family
life which nurtures and protects a child. For example, three quarters of
the UK population is part of a family of three or more generations,
providing children with a strong sense of their culture and heritage.
Grandparents often provide an important safety net for parents: 82% of
children receive some care from their grandparents; nearly 5 million
grandparents each spend the equivalent of three days a week caring for their
grandchildren; and 1% have grandchildren living with them. Importantly,
many of these grandparents and other family and friends are also in paid
work and/or are caring for other family members, as well as having other
interests and pursuits.
However, an estimated 1 million grandchildren are denied contact with their
grandparents as a result of adoption, divorce, separation or family feud.
Despite this huge and vital contribution to family and community life, local
and national policies neither sufficiently recognise the diversity of
families nor address the role of grandparents and other relatives in caring
for children.
The All Party Parliamentary Group hopes to work with government to develop
policies and practice that recognise and support the wider family's role in
caring for children.
A Manifesto for Grandparents |
