Grandparents in the news

Grandparents in the news

Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 May 2013 12:53

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Here are some articles and news stories which we feel will be of interest to grandparents and those working with them.
We will be adding to these regularly so please revisit us soon!

ARTICLES in 2013

ARTICLES in 2012

ARTICLES in 2011

ARTICLES in 2010

ARTICLES in 2009

ARTICLES in 2008

ARTICLES 2013

APRIL

Association to give drop-in help to grandparent carers
Source: Camarthen Journal
24 April ,2013

Poor support for family carers unacceptable says minister
Source: bbc.co.uk
3:00pm 17 April 2013

Childcarers living in severe poverty, Bristol study finds
Source: www.bristol247.com
Time: 17 April, 2013

Appreciating special role that grandparents play in childcare
Source: www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
Time: 11.00am, 16 April 2013

Children in kinship care go without
Source: the times
Rosemary Bennett Social Affairs Correspondent
Published at 12:01AM, April 15 2013

As a Society We Owe More to the Grandparents, Siblings and Other Relatives That Take on the Care of Vulnerable Children
Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
Time: 00.00, 15 April 2013

MARCH

Childcare vouchers: how they will work
Source: The Guardian
Time: 30 March 2013

JANUARY

The £21,000 Grandma: Grandparents babysitting duties reduce cost childcare whopping 4 300 every day
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Time: 12:06pm, 17 January 2013

ARTICLES 2012

JUNE

Rights for Grandparents
Source: The Telegraph online
8:59PM BST 07 Jun 2012

Grandparents threatened with arrest for sending birthday cards to grandchildren
Source: The Telegraph online
11:06AM BST 07 Jun 2012

60,000 grandparents forced to give up work to bring up grandchildren
Source: The Telegraph online
8:28AM BST 12 Jun 2012

Parental alienation and intractable contact disputes: an update
Henry Clayton of 4 Paper Buildings summarizes the recent authorities in parental alienation and intractable contact cases, in light of the recent decision of Hedley J in Re E.
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk 12 June 2012

APRIL

23 April 2012
GRANDPARENTS 'SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ADOPT'
Source: express.co.uk, Monday 23 April 2012 By Ted Jeory

ARTICLES 2011

MAY

CALLING ALL RELATIVE OR FRIEND CARERS!

Are you a relative or friend caring for a child long term because they cannot live with their parents? If so, the University of Bristol would like to hear from you.

Research suggests many children benefit because their carer ensures the child feels safe and loved, but such families can face difficulties. The University has been commissioned by the charity Buttle UK to conduct a study into the experiences of these young people (aged 8-18) and their carers to gain a better understanding of their situation and how their lives can be improved. Carers and children each get a £20 voucher as a thank you for taking part. The research team is currently recruiting and is very keen to hear from carers. If you’re interested, please contact Paula Vaisey on 01179546728 / 07580312526, or email Paula.Vaisey@bristol.ac.uk

Take part now : Interviews with families will take place until the end of October this year, and the report will be out around July 2012

APRIL

April
Invaluable role of grandparents as childcarers
New research from Aviva suggests that around half of all UK grandparents - now look after their grandchildren and help around the house while mums and dads work. Of these, 99.5% do so without pay. More

11 April 2011
Family justice review proposes grandparents should be included in contact agreements when relationships break down
Source: guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 April 2011 14.09 BST Jon Robins

6 April 2011
Stop CSA Charges campaign gathers momentum
A letter to The Times calls on Government to reconsider charging for access to child support service

6 April 2011
Grandparents who give up work to look after their grandchildren as a kinship carer or foster carer, and are in receipt of child benefit for that child, will no longer lose out on their basic State Pension. From April 2011 Grandparents in this situation receive Class 3 National Insurance credits ensuring an entitlement to full basic pension.

Lynn Chesterman CE said: "The National Insurance credit is available for those below state pension age and getting child benefit for a child under 12 or must be an approved foster carer or kinship carer. Now Grandparents who give up work to look after their grandchildren will no longer lose out on their entitlement to basic State Pension. Many grandparents are in their early 50s and give up work early to provide this vital child care. "

See HMRC for more on National Insurance Credits

FEBRUARY

24 February 2011 - Mediation before court says the Ministry of Justice

From April separating couples must assess whether mediation would be a better way of resolving their disputes than battling over them in court. Anyone setting out to contest the terms of their separation in court will first be required to consider mediation, under a new protocol agreed with the Judiciary. More

23 February 2011 - London
Community Care Conference on Special Guardianship Orders: Navigating local authority duties and best practice

ARTICLES 2010

NOVEMBER

18 November 2010 - Changes to legal aid

The government has announced plans to make radical changes to the civil legal aid system. The rationale is to ensure ‘that legal aid is targeted to those who need it most, for those cases in which legal advice or representation is justified.’ But this means cuts and they may affect you if your family is involved or plans to approach the court about contact issues. The government is hoping that resolutions can be made prior to court proceedings and will continue to fund mediation as a means to resolve disputes but legal aid will no longer cover private children and family law cases – except where domestic violence is involved.

This report is complex but it is important that as many people as possible respond to the consultation which goes on until 14th February 2011. Can you take the time to do this? READ MORE

OCTOBER

18/25 October 2010 Family Law Week
Government to introduce compulsory mediation of divorce disputes - Family Justice Review to report in early 2011

The Daily Telegraph reports that a government review is to recommend the introduction of a compulsory mediation stage before any financial or custodial dispute is heard in court. David Norgrove, the chair of the Family Justice Review panel, is quoted as saying that a new mediation stage could reduce the legal aid budget by £100 million. The plan, which it is said will be published early next year, will also introduce briefer and simpler hearings for cases that cannot be resolved by mediation.

18.10.10 Lawyers to be kept out of divorce battles
Lawyers will be kept out of thousands of family dispute cases every year in a shake-up of divorce laws.

13.10.10 Mental health risks of Grandparents caring for grandchildren -Learn how I beat Depression [Online]

www.fightingdepression.co.uk/mental-health-risks-of-grandparents-caring-for-grandchildren

13.10.10 Nursery World - [Online] Working with parents - Childcaring grandparents suffer ill health - Katy Morton
http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1034384/Childcaring-grandparents-suffer-ill-health/

Lynn Chesterman, chief executive of the Grandparents' Association, said, 'The study confirms and validates what many grandparents tell us - that it is not always the cost of raising a grandchild or the expense of going to court which is an issue. We hope that the findings will be used alongside other evidence to give us a fuller picture of how losing contact with grandchildren, or raising them full-time, impacts in so many ways.'

13.10.10 Children England Weekly Email News Bulletin [online]
Grandparents as Carers
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/bulletins/Daily-Bulletin/news/1033708/?DCMP=EMC-DailyBulletin
www.childrenengland.org.uk

07.10.10 Children and Young People Now [online]
Grandparents with grandchildren in their care are putting their own health and wellbeing at risk, according to two studies

5.10.10 London South Bank University [online]
New research: Grandparents’ health and well being at risk when caring for their grandchildren

SEPTEMBER

30.09.10 Community Care [online]
Grandparents are kinship carers at risk to their health and well-being - [in response to publication launch of Grandparents' Voices - A research study of the views of grandparents who face up to challenging family situations : PRESS RELEASE : BUY PUBLICATION ONLINE ]

30.09.10 Mature Times [online]
Grandparents well-being compromised by grandchild care issues [in response to publication launch of Grandparents' Voices - A research study of the views of grandparents who face up to challenging family situations : PRESS RELEASE : BUY PUBLICATION ONLINE ]

The Times 21.09.10
Intelligent couples put extra pain into divorce, says judge
Sir Nicholas Wall’s speech highlights the problems warring parents create for their children if they are not prepared to put their children’s interests first, following the breakdown of their relationship.

Sir Nicholas Wall’s full speech can be read here

21.09.10 by Adam Wagner
Top judge says legal aid in family cases may disappear
The president of the family courts, Sir Nicholas Wall, has given a wide-ranging speech to Families Needs Fathers. In it he outlined his own vision for change and also sounded a warning that legal aid in family cases may soon be abolished.

21.09.10 Last updated at 11:45
Divorcing parents can 'damage' children, says judge
By Katherine Sellgren BBC News education reporter

AUGUST

03.08.10 PRESS RELEASE - INTERDISCIPLINARY ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN
JOINT POSITION STATEMENT ON THE DELIVERY OF COURT SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN FAMILY PROCEEDINGS

DOWNLOAD THE JOINT POSITION STATEMENT for DELIVERY OF COURT SERVICES TO CHILDREN IN FAMILY PROCEEDINGS – INTERDISCIPLINARY ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN

A powerful Alliance of eighteen legal, medical and child care organisations have come together to issue the attached joint position statement which sets out their grave concerns about the services currently being provided by the Children and Family Courts Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS).
The Alliance questions whether the CAFCASS model of service delivery is either the most effective in terms of outcomes for the vulnerable children involved or the most cost effective use of all the available resources both human and financial.
This week’s publication of the results of a National Audit Office review of CAFCASS and the announcement of the referral to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee reinforces the concerns of the Alliance. The Alliance calls on the Government to act quickly as matters are now too serious to await the outcome of the forthcoming Family Justice Review.
The Alliance offers to assist the Government in initiating a constructive exploration of possible alternative arrangements which do not pose a serious threat to the statutory framework protecting children’s welfare and rights - painstakingly developed through research and evidence-based clinical practice over the last four decades.

NOTES TO EDITORS
For media enquiries contact:
NAGALRO - ALISON PADDLE (Press Officer) 01539 737 232 (mobile 07789 252453) or NAGALRO office, Karen Harris - 01372 818504, or
ALC - BARBARA HOPKIN (Press Officer) (m) 07970 620156, or ALC office,
Julia Higgins - 0208 224 7071

JUNE

17.06.10 Why it's time for families to come first - by NICK CLEGG, Deputy PM
Grandparents are to get sweeping legal rights as part of government plans to put ‘strong, stable and loving families’ back at the heart of British life.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says it is ‘crazy’ that millions of grandparents lose contact with their grandchildren after a family separation or divorce.
Ministers now plan to change the law to give greater access rights to grandparents when couples split. Mr Clegg, has set out his proposals in a speech on the family today.

‘We are looking at how to provide greater access rights to non-resident parents and grandparents when couples separate.’
"When marriages and relationships break down, a child’s whole world can collapse too. Strong, stable and loving families are the cornerstone of a happy childhood.
We all know the role grandparents can play in helping children through these difficult times.
But often grandparents don’t feel empowered to step in. That’s crazy, and it needs to change.
That’s why today we are announcing a new Childhood and Families Task Force composed of senior ministers, chaired by the Prime Minister, to take action to remove some of the biggest hurdles that millions of families face every day."

The Task Force will also work on making parental leave much more flexible, allowing parents to divvy the time up to better suit their needs, and allowing fathers to take a much more hands on role with their children when they’re young.

08.06.10 UK is lagging behind other countries in recognising crucial role of grandparents.

Grandparents in the UK are undervalued compared with grandparents across the EU says a new report produced for Grandparents Plus by Kings College London.

Lynn Chesterman CE of The Grandparents' Association says:

"The Grandparents’ Association, the only national membership organisation for grandparents, supports the findings of Grandparents Plus. However grandchildren's voices are often ignored and Children's Voices, is to be launched by The Grandparents Association on 1 July which will add to these findings by listening to the children.”

If you would like to reserve a copy of the Childrens Voices publication or know more contact louise.baker@grandparents-association.org.uk

MAY

28.05.10 - Queen’s Speech highlights key children’s rights issues in the following Bills being considered in the 2010/11 Parliamentary session [opens PDF]

12.05.10 - Michael Gove MP is the new Secretary of State for Education. The Department for Education was formed on 12 May 2010 and is responsible for education and children's services.

11.05.10 - BBC News - Grandmother wins Kent County Council foster care ruling

Comment from Grandparents-Association - The Grandparents’ Association was pleased to hear of this verdict as we know that thousands of grandparents step in to care for their grandchildren. Often this is at a crisis point or with little notice as the only alternative is for the child to go into local authority care. These grandparents are often given little emotional or financial support and at a time when they had expected, and planned for, no responsibilities for dependants they find themselves struggling to survive and give their grandchildren the care they deserve. We get around 50 calls a month to our welfare benefits service from carer grandparents fighting to get some financial support and we have been campaigning for the government to give better recognition and support to carer grandparents. This could be a landmark ruling and we are disappointed Kent County Council is appealing but will be following this case closely. Lynn Chesterman CE

APRIL

13.04.10 - Labour Manifesto mentions grandparents

13.04.10 - Children's Rights Alliance for England
Political parties probed on commitment to children’s rights

FEBRUARY

19.02.10 - Daily Mail Online
Grandparents are feeling the strain - New report out by BeGrand.net - a website for grandparents of who The Grandparents' Association is a partner

JANUARY

20.01.10 - By Nicholas Watt and Hélène Mulholland , Guardian.co.uk
Grandparents get easier route to see children when families split - Children's secretary Ed Balls to abolish legal obstacle as he places grandparents at centre of family strategy for election

20.01.10 - DCSF - Families and Relationships Green Paper ** for a quick summary view page 114 of the download Chapter 6 - "Services have an important role in supporting families and good family relationships. Key to this is making sure they are welcoming — not just to mothers and fathers but also to grandparents and all family members who may play a significant role in a child’s life.

Published today by the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, the Rt. Hon. Ed Balls MP – download for free

20.01.10 DCSF Consultation Responses

Visit the DCSF Consultation site to respond to the consultation. deadline for consultation responses is 21st April 2010.

20.01.10 - Mirror Online

Grandparents Rights are a massive step forward
20.01.10 - BBC NEWS
Fathers to be offered more help

20.01.10 -By Andrew Grice - Political Editor, The Independent
Labour turns to grandparents in fight for 'family vote'

20.01.10 - Times Online
Grandparents to get greater rights over childcare

20.01.10 ED BALLS: ‘New package of measures to recognise grandparents’

12.01.10 - By Hannah Richardson - Education and family reporter, BBC News
Parents and families going through separation and relationship breakdown are to be promised more support, in plans expected from the government.

ARTICLES in 2009

3.12.09 - The Times
Tories propose tax credits for break-up fathers

22.12.09 The Guardian
Marriage is becoming preserve of middle-classes, Tories claim

17.11.09 - The News - Portsmouth
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/portsmouth/New-group-to-support-grandparents.5829575.jp