rethinking family life: exploring the role of grandparents and the … · 2013-10-06 · be...

Rethinking Family Life:exploring the role ofgrandparents and the wider family

Grandparents Plus: for children and extended families

ContentsIntroduction 1

01. Changing family lives 302. Grandparents as carers 503. Grandparents providing family support 1304. Grandparents as influencers 1705. Family and friends care 2106. Putting granparents in the picture 3107. Completing the intergenerational contract 3708. Conclusion 41

Grandparents Plus is the national charity which champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family inchildren’s lives - especially where they take on the caring role in difficult family circumstances.

We work to support grandparents and the wider family by:– Campaigning for change– Providing evidence, policy solutions

and training– Building alliances and networks,

including with grandparents themselves so that they can have a voice

Rethinking Family Life / 1

Perhaps now more than ever it is hard to be a child and tough to be a parent. Children are told that they are unhappy, stressed or damagedand parents are told that they are selfish,irresponsible and failing. Whatever side of theargument you are on, there is little doubt that in report after report the emphasis is heavily on the role that parents play, for good or ill, in bringing up their children.

Introduction: livingextended family lives

2 / Rethinking Family Life

As a society we continue to hold thenuclear model to be the preferredfamily structure for raising children.But as parents, children, aunts, unclesand grandparents, we regularly reachbeyond our nuclear family model, orare forced to through bereavement ordivorce, and live lives that look verydifferent. Increasingly evidence showsthat this nuclear family is onlysustainable with the support of thewider family around it. Where the two parent household has brokendown it is often grandparents and the wider family who step in to fill the gap, cushioning any adverseexperiences that children may have.By focussing almost exclusively on therole of parents we both fail to listen to children, who repeatedly identifygrandparents and other familymembers as key influencers in theirlives, and set parents up to fail. Weplace even more pressure on mothersand fathers, ignoring the wider familyaltogether with commentatorsperpetuating the cycle of negativityaround family life in which as aparent the only question is notwhether but by how much you failyour children.

At Grandparents Plus we believe that the myth that theextended family is ‘dead’ andthe preoccupation with thenuclear family means we missthe bigger picture. Perhaps mostworryingly for politicians, policymakers and service providers, ouranalysis suggests that they may be outof touch with the reality of family lifein Britain today. In this report we have

brought together evidence whichdemonstrates that, one way oranother, we are all living extendedfamily lives. Economic and socialdrivers mean that grandparents areplaying an ever-increasing role insupporting family life and caring forchildren. Families are extending both horizontally as a result of theincrease in the number of step-familyrelationships and vertically, because of our ageing population, with fourand even five generation families notuncommon. Through this changingfamily picture the role thatgrandparents and the wider familyplays is significant; but it can behidden, is often taken for granted and is little understood.

This report gathers existing evidenceon grandparenting and the widerfamily, but we acknowledge that theevidence base is patchy and so whilebuilding on the research that we dohave, we also point out some of thegaps. Because of the breadth of theground that is covered here we do not attempt to explore each issue indepth. The aim is to demonstrate thatwhen taken together we can see thewide range of ways in whichgrandparents and the wider familycontribute to family life. Their role has been under-explored to date. We believe that developing aclearer understanding of thisrole and shaping policy tosupport it is the next chapter of family policy. Unless policymakers and service providers graspthe complexity of family life theirinterventions will be less effective and far less relevant. But mostimportantly, children will lose out.

The myth that the extendedfamily is ‘dead’ and thepreoccupation with the nuclear family means we miss the bigger picture


Demographic changeThere is no doubt that our populationis ageing. ONS figures1.1 confirm thatthe number of over 65s has alreadyovertaken the number of under 16s.By 2050 the number of over 85s willhave quadrupled from 1.1 million in2000 to 4 million1.2. Women arehaving children later in life while agrowing proportion are not havingchildren at all. To a certain extent thedecline in the working age populationhas been offset by migration, but it isunclear whether this trend willcontinue during the recession.

While some women have childrenlater in life, and are likely to thereforebecome grandparents at an olderage, other women becomegrandparents at a relatively youngage. The average age at whichsomeone becomes a grandparent isshifting and has been variously citedin recent years at anywhere between47 – 541.3. The boundaries betweenages and generations are becomingeven more blurred.

01.Changing family lives

the number of over 85s by 2050

4m

grandparents have a dependentchild living with them

1in3


Different family structuresIn the 2001 census one in 10 familieswere stepfamilies1.4. They are now thefastest growing family formation1.5. It is thought that one in three of us ispart of a step-family1.6. With marriage on the decline and the increase incohabitation and second andsubsequent family formations, theinterplay and overlaying nature offamily structures and relationships isbecoming ever more complex. The Grandparents Associationcalculate that there are 14 milliongrandparents1.7. A third ofgrandparents have a dependent childliving with them1.8 and half ofgrandparents have a living parent oftheir own1.9. The traditional image ofthe sandwich generation woman (forit is still women who provide most ofthe care) is caring for children andparents but she is increasingly likely tobe managing three generationalcaring responsibilities, with the addedcomplexity that a step-family maythen bring.

There is little advice and supportavailable to step-grandparents. But it is a role full of challenges and conflicting emotions. Just as step-parents have to find a way ofdeveloping a parental relationship with their partner’s child, their ownparents in turn are facing similarchallenges. And it has implications too for what children/step-children and grandchildren/step-grandchildrenwill be prepared to provide in terms of care and support when the time comes.

This multiplicity of roles(simultaneously as mother, carer,grandmother, step-grandmother) and circumstances requires the familyto adapt and also means that thenuclear model becomes less and lessrelevant. Increasingly we live our livesas family networks which may have anuclear “hub” at the centre but thisdoes not and cannot exist in isolation.

is part of a step family

1in3


The extent of grandparentalchildcare is considerable and has grown significantly with theincrease in the number of women(mothers) returning to work.

In 1971 just under 60% of womenwere economically active. That figurehas now risen to almost 75%2.1.Britain’s long working hours culturemakes our parents some of the most‘time poor’ in Europe. Grandparentshave become the single biggest sourceof childcare after the parentsthemselves. A quarter of all familiesrely on grandparents for childcare2.2.Half of single parents depend onthem2.3.

Age Concern valued the childcarecontribution that grandparents make at £3.9billion2.4. But an HSBC reportcosted the amount parents wouldspend on childcare (allowing for aproportion who would otherwise usenannies and other more expensiveforms of childcare) if they did not usegrandparents at a staggering £50billion2.5. That is equal in size to the firststage of the Treasury’s credit crunchbank bail out.

An Institute of Education study foundthat grandparents provide over 40%of childcare for parents who are atwork or studying and over 70% ofchildcare at other times2.6. Clearly cost is a major factor, as affordablechildcare is still in short supply. Arecent Daycare Trust survey2.7 showedthat annual cost in England of anursery place for a child under two has risen to £8,684. Despite the newduty in the Childcare Act (2006) onlocal authorities to ensure sufficientchildcare provision in their area there is still a shortage of goodquality, flexible, affordable childcare.

the value of the childcarecontribution grandparents make

£3.9bn

02.Grandparents as carers


Supporting parentsThe reason grandparents play such a huge role in family life, particularlychildcare provision is because parents and children need them to.Recognising and valuing the role that grandparents play is thereforesupporting parental choices andbehaviour. By failing to do so societyrisks being out of touch with the reality of family life.

The arrival of a new baby is the mostsignificant life-changing experience for parents. Grandparents, particularlymaternal grandparents, often play a particularly active role at this time.Grandparents Plus’ survey2.8 found thatparents were more likely to turn to theirown mum or dad for advice about anew baby than anyone else.

We believe that this role should berecognised in a number of ways.

ACTIONEnsure that parents are given a full twelve months of paidparental leave that can be takenby either the mother or thefather. This would ensure thatgrandparents are not placedunder undue pressure to take on significant periods of care for their grandchildren.

Give working grandparents theopportunity to work flexibly.

Introduce a two week period of“granny leave” for workinggrandparents so that they can beinvolved in the care and support of their families at this crucial time.

As the recession begins to bite hardemployers are understandably resistant to any additional regulatoryrequirements. But extending flexibilityon a voluntary basis, including periodsof leave for employees to support their families in the way we aresuggesting here, could be a useful way for businesses to address the need to cut back on activity because of reduced demand.

Single parents, in particular, regardgrandparental childcare as “the nextbest thing”. Half of single parents relyon grandparental childcare. A report

for the Department of Work andPensions2.9 found that lone parentsplaced particularly high value on theirrole as a parent and this affected theirchildcare choices. Grandparentalchildcare is particularly trusted andvalued by them. This was cited as afactor over and above cost. It was anemotional decision as well as aneconomic one. We want to see government and serviceproviders do more to support and facilitate family involvementso that families can care forthemselves.

flexibilityGrandparents also tend to be moreflexible. They are often asked to fill the gaps between formal childcare and parental care. They will also care for the child who is sick when a nursery would refuse to have them.Nurseries, extended schools andchildminders tend not to work beyond6pm. For parents who work shifts orirregular hours formal childcare simplyisn’t enough.

If a parent has a child with a disability,they may have little or no option but toask grandparents to step in as suitable,good quality formal childcare that canmeet the needs of disabled children isin particularly short supply.

When parents place their child with a grandparent they do so because they believe that it will be the mostappropriate source of childcare fortheir child. It is a legitimate choice forthem and one society should respect.The growth in formal childcareprovision in recent years has not led to the expected reduction in informalchildcare.

parents are more likely to turn to grandparents to provide helpwith childcare in the currenteconomic climate

4out of10


Other external drivers such as thecredit crunch and ensuing recessionsuggest that as unemployment growsparents may need less childcareoverall, but those who do will be more likely to turn to informalchildcare in order to keep costs down. Grandparents will be the onesunder pressure to provide thatchildcare. Our own survey2.10 suggeststhat over four out of 10 (44%) parents are more likely to turn to grandparentsto provide help with childcare in thecurrent economic climate. As the tableon p11 shows, mothers employed inprofessional, clerical and manualwork all used grandparental childcarebut those in less professional rolesand who are less well paid are morelikely to rely on grandparents.

Good quality childcare There is considerable and conflictingevidence about the impact of daycareon very young children (under 3s).Some commentators argue thatprolonged periods of care in a nurserysetting for very young children does not give them the one to one care they need. While a recent Institute ofEducation report2.11 found that childrenwho had been in daycare from ninemonths were more “school ready” than those who had been cared for by grandparents. For toddlersthe opportunity to interact and playwith other children becomes moreimportant for their development. Thestudy found that children cared for bygrandparents tended to have a goodvocabulary but were more likely todemonstrate behavioural problems.This is thought to be because they hadfewer opportunities to interact withother children. At GrandparentsPlus we believe that we arepreparing children for life, notjust for school. School readiness istherefore one measure but it doesn’treflect the full picture.

The Childcare Act (2006) states thatlocal authorities must take steps toidentify parents (the definition of which includes all adults with care ofchildren) who would be unlikely to take advantage of children’s services in their area and to take steps to reachthem. It is important that service

providers recognise that grandparentcarers need to be reached so that thechildren they care for can benefit fromthe social interaction and facilitiesavailable to them. Dedicatedgrandparent-toddler groups are oneway of addressing this. Promoting the services in a way which targetsgrandparents is also critical. Forexample services could be promoted in post offices, supermarkets anddoctors surgeries.

ACTIONWe want to see grandparentsproactively targeted andencouraged to make full use of children’s centres, Sure Start and other local services so thatthe children they care for canbenefit from what is available.

Case studyWestminster Children’s SocietyWestminster Children's Society isresponsible for the early yearseducation of more than 600 childrenin 18 community nurseries acrossLondon, we are especially aware of the challenges faced by theincreasing number of disconnectedfamilies we support.

And with so many of our parentsreturning to work having foundaffordable childcare, the sharedsupport offered by availablegrandparents is even more important -and so positively encouraged by all our nursery staff.

This may be a simple matter of makingour grandparents feel as welcome andimportant as parents when they bringor collect their grandchildren from ournurseries or the number of projects wefoster, involving all generations fromacross the local community.

A child's future opportunities are oftendecided at a very early age, and webelieve the best possible start must be for everyone involved - parents,friends, extended family members andchildcare professionals - to workclosely together to secure that future.


We believe that the vast majorityof parents will strive to make thebest choice for their child giventheir own particularcircumstances. Some will havesupportive grandparents who are able to help out. Others will not. Some will have good quality nurseryprovision which suits their workinghours while others will struggle to findwhat they need from formal provision.Most families will also be facing thefinancial reality that they cannot afford for one parent to stay at home,relying on just one income, whetherthey want to or not.

Whatever form of childcare parentschoose it should be recognised andsupported. This includes informalchildcare. The fact is that parents make a positive choice when they useinformal childcare because they feeltheir child is loved and well cared forin that setting. For some families thatwill always be their preference and asa society we should respect, value and support that. But importantly, theemphasis on parental choice has to be balanced by the grandparent’s right to say ‘no’. Parents canreasonably request grandparental help with childcare but grandparentscan equally reasonably refuse. Wemust also consider the impact on thefuture of childcare provision of futuregenerations of grandparents being less willing or able to provide it.

Recognition for grandparental careThe care that grandparents providehas too often been excluded from thechildcare debate when in fact they are still the single biggest source ofchildcare after the parents themselves.If we are going to recognise the rolethat grandparents play in caring forchildren, particularly if parents areenabled to return to work then weneed to address the question of theform that recognition may take. The“commodification” of care is not astraightforward issue and must beconsidered carefully. An arrangementthat has been a private matter thenbecomes public as soon as it isquantified and a value placed on it.But if we do not adopt this approachgrandparents and the families theycare for will be no better off as aresult. Attaching a monetary value tothe informal care provided bygrandparents is therefore essential to society valuing it at all.

PaymentNine out of 10 (92%) grandparents are not paid for the childcare theyprovide2.12. Nor do they qualify for the childcare tax credit, so parentscannot claim any financial help inorder to pay them. The only way agrandparent can qualify is if they take steps to become registered as a childminder, including registering to care for children who are not theirgrandchildren. So as a society wehave the anomaly that the mostpopular form of childcare is also the least recognised. Six out of 10(61%) people, including seven out of 10 (70%) mothers agree thatgrandparents should receive somekind of reward or payment from thestate for providing childcare2.13.

people agree grandparentsshould be paid for childcare

6out of10


On the other hand, manygrandparents readily acknowledgethat they care for their grandchildrenfor ‘love not money’ and some wouldbe offended by the offer of paymenteither directly from their son/daughteror indirectly from the state for theservice they provide. The cost ofpaying grandparents would besignificant, even if we were to adoptthe approach of paying them at areduced rate as recommended by theCentre for Social Justice2.14. There isthe added consideration that thosewho are already retired would notexpect to be economically activethemselves so the opportunity cost forthem and for the economy of the carethey provide is less than it would befor those who would otherwise be inpaid work. However many will expectand prefer to be doing other thingswith their time, so there is anopportunity cost to them, they alsofree up their son or daughter to returnto work. But most importantly, thecaring contribution they makehas an intrinsic value in itself.

Case studyGerman grandparents are beingoffered the opportunity to take paid time off work to care forgrandchildren under new legislationwhich came into force in January2009. Grandparents will be allowedto request leave from work if they canprove their support is needed to raisethe children because the child's parentis studying or in training. Teenagepregnancy is a growing problem inGermany with over 6,100 childrenborn to under 18s in 2006.2.15

ACTIONGrandparents Plus believes thatparental childcare choices should be fully recognised andsupported. Parents should be ableto claim childcare tax credits forthe childcare that grandparentsprovide if it enables them to work.

Case studyRashmi is married and works full time as a telesales advisor. She has an 18 month old son. Rashmi’smum and dad care for their grandson 9am-6pm every day so that she can go to work. She hasto work to keep up her mortgagepayments. Her parents are in their50s and both feel they should beentitled to some financial recognitionfor the contribution they make.Rashmi says, “We cannot affordchildcare. My parents help becausethey see me struggling.”

Existing evidence suggests that threeout of 10 grandparents are ofworking age2.16. It could be arguedthat those grandparents who give upwork or reduce their working hours inorder to provide childcare are makinga bigger sacrifice than those who arealready retired. Their own income willprobably be reduced. Their pensionprovision may be adversely affected if they have incomplete contributionrecords. Unlike parents of childrenunder 12 or other carers there iscurrently no provision in theforthcoming pension reforms whichtake effect from April 2010 forgrandparents to be given a credittowards their basic state pension ifthey provide substantial periods ofcare. This is defined as twenty hours per week or more. This group ofgrandparents is also likely to grow asstate retirement age shifts to 67, 68and beyond. Yet there is no researchto identify how many are in thissituation, what their NationalInsurance contribution records mightbe and how much care this group ofgrandparents in particular is providingon a weekly basis.

grandparents are of working age

3out of10


ACTIONGrandparents Plus is calling forall working age grandparents to be entitled to a credittowards their NationalInsurance contributions in thesame way as parents, fostercarers and carers of disabledadults if they provide care for20 hours per week or more.

Rewarding care with careThe caring contribution thatgrandparents make is substantial. If they are not to be paid at thepoint of providing that care, whatalternative form of recognitionmight be possible? Reports by ILC UK2.17 and others shows that ourageing population has placed theintergenerational contract under strain, particularly in terms of pension provision but also because of the pressing need to reform socialcare. But unless we recognise the truevalue of grandparental childcare theintergenerational contract isincomplete.

We believe that grandparentalchildcare is an intrinsic part ofthe intergenerational exchangeof care and resources. Thereforeas part of any reformed socialcare system, the care thatgrandparents provide todayshould credit them towards thecare they may need forthemselves tomorrow. This wouldnot take the form of a cash payment,but rather a repayment in the form ofdiscounted care for the contributionthat they have already made.

We know that we are all expected tolive longer and with more complexhealth needs. Reports from Counseland Care2.18 and others argue that theexisting social care system isunsustainable. As a result we are allgoing to be expected to contributemore towards our own care. But theunpaid caring contribution we mayhave made earlier in our lives shouldcount. It should ensure that we benefitfrom a reduction in the cost of thatcare when we come to pay for it. Inthis way periods of care could be‘banked’ throughout our lives. Parentswould not have to pay forgrandparental childcare andgrandparents would know thatwhenever they needed personal socialcare their own caring contribution willhelp to offset some of the cost of thatcare. It is not uncommon for olderpeople to have to sell their homes topay for the care they need. Thisapproach would also help tosafeguard their property as a legacyfor their children and grandchildrenwhile at the same time being consistentwith the need to encourage personalresponsibility and the philosophy of‘something for something’.

ACTIONWe want to see furtherexploration of intergenerationalreciprocity to establish how wecould reward care with care tofind appropriate alternativeforms of recognition for agrandparent’s caringcontribution.

agree grandparents should have right to request flexibleworking

55%


Access to flexible workingEven, and perhaps, especially duringthe current recession some employersapproach flexibility as a way ofworking that can help their businesscope with the changing circumstances,rather than simply a ‘perk’ orconcession made to a particular group.Parents of children under six andcarers of disabled adults have the rightto request flexible working, and thegovernment is due to extend that rightto parents of older children, but ratherthan apply it to only those groupsemployers often find that it is easierand fairer to operate if everyone has it.Older workers may want to work moreflexibly as they approach retirement;others may want to a better work lifebalance to do voluntary work, to studyor simply because they want moreleisure time.

The Equal Opportunities Commission’sinvestigation into flexible working2.20

Enter the Timelords: transforming workto meet the future documented howemployers are approaching flexibility.In many workplaces flexible working is about how an organisation or abusiness runs itself. The right to request flexible working is not applied as a

concession being made to a particulargroup. Nor does everyone seek thesame kind of flexibility. Some will want to flex their hours, others theirlocation. In practice a small degree of flexibility can make a big difference to the sustainability ofsomeone’s employment and theviability of a business.

A NatCen study2.21 found that bothgrandparents and parents were morelikely to enjoy providing childcare whenit was part-time or when they couldwork flexibly. Grandparents at workmay feel under pressure to help theirown children, particularly with thearrival of a new baby or at times ofcrisis, but they have no right to requestflexible working and it probably wouldnot occur to them to make that request.Most employers will not know howmany grandparents are in theirworkplaces nor who would benefit fromthis flexibility. But it is almost certainlymore than they realise. We are urgingemployers who already operate flexibleworking policies to extend them tograndparents. The most efficient way todo this would actually be to extendflexible working to all staff.

Use of types of care by occupation of employed mothers Mother’s occupation All GB

Employed mothers' Managers Assoc Admin Skilled Personal Semi Skilled totalchildcare usage & Prof Prof & Clerical manual & Sales & Unskilled %

Looks after child, self 4.4 3.1 6.7 9.5 8.6 4.9 5.8

Father looks after 19.5 32.5 22.9 36.7 44.0 53.4 32.5

Grandparent 34.1 42.4 52.3 54.2 50.8 43.8 45.0

Formal provider 64.6 51.1 33.7 26.1 17.7 6.6 37.2

Maximum unweighted sample size 1490 1178 1460 115 1770 850 6863

Sample: All MCS-1 employed mothers. Weighted by GB weight. Multiple response allowed.2.19


We want to see:

1. Paid parental leave of up to 12months that mothers or fatherscould afford to take would ensurethat the first year of a child’s life isspent in the care of at least oneparent. This would also enablegrandparents to help out withoutfeeling under pressure to step in to provide childcare.

2. Employers who already haveflexible working practicesextending flexibility tograndparents. The most efficientway to do this would be to extendflexibility to everyone.

3. Special family leave or “grannyleave” for grandparents of up totwo weeks which could be taken atany point in the child’s first year.As a first step this could beintroduced on a voluntary basis.

4. Parental childcare choices fullyrecognised and supported. Parentsshould be able to claim childcaretax credits for the childcare thatgrandparents provide if it enablesthem to return to work.

5. Grandparents proactively targetedand encouraged to make full useof children’s centres, Sure Startand other local services so that thechildren they care for can benefitfrom what is available.

6. An end to the pensions penalty. A weekly grandparents NationalInsurance credit to ensure thatworking age grandparents whoprovide care for children for 20hours per week or more aretreated in the same way asparents, foster carers and carers of disabled adults.

7. Further exploration ofintergenerational reciprocity toestablish how we could rewardcare with care to find appropriatealternative forms of recognition for a grandparent’s caringcontribution.

Summary:We need to recognise and value thesubstantial caring contributionthat grandparents make.


Filling the parent gapPerceptions of the contributiongrandparents make in the livesof their grandchildren usuallyfocus on their role with youngerchildren, particularly in terms ofchildcare.

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parentsand Children3.1 found an associationbetween grandparental closeness andchild adjustment when children were onaverage nine years old but at age 14that link had disappeared. But newresearch3.2 has found that grandparentsdo play a significant, if different role inthe lives of their teenage grandchildren.In fact grandparents are increasinglybecoming replacement partners whereone parent is absent, or assuminggreater proportion of the parental rolewhere both parents are “time poor”and cannot fulfil that role themselves.

For example, half (52%) of theteenagers in the study reportedgrandparental involvement in theirschool, which given the age of thechildren (11-16) is particularly high.Grandparents were helping withproblems such as bullying or attending school events like parentalconsultations or sports days.

03.Grandparentsproviding family support

of grandparents involved in teenagers’ schools

1/2


Maternal grandparents played alarger role than paternal grandparentswith more than eight out of 10teenagers saying that maternalgrandmothers discussed their futureplans with them and gave ‘goodadvice’ for problems. Outside of theirimmediate family almost nine out of10 teenagers rated their maternalgrandmother as the most importantperson, closely followed by maternalgrandfather, paternal grandmotherand paternal grandfather.

There has been a trend for families to become increasingly geographicallyseparated but this is not aspronounced as we may think. Thepopular belief that grandparents livesome distance from their grandchildrenis not borne out by the evidence. Onestudy found that seven out of 10 (69%)live within 10 miles of theirgrandchildren3.3 while a recent DCSFreport3.4 cites four in 10 grandparentsliving within 15 minutes of theirgrandchildren and seeing them severaltimes each week.

Buffers in times of crisisA growing body of evidence shows thatgrandparents provide vital support forparents and grandchildren, particularlyin times of need or family disruption. A key time of crisis for children is whenparents separate. It is thought thatnearly half of all children in the UK willsee their parents divorce3.5. Althoughdivorce rates are actually falling (fromover 153,000 in 2003 to 128,000 in20073.6) and have reached their lowestlevel for 28 years, the overall pictureon separation is complicated by thegrowing number of cohabiting couples,rising from 9% of all families in 1971to 14% in 20063.7.

The proportion of births outsidemarriage has also risen from 12% in 1980 to 44% of all births in 2007 and continues to grow3.8. We know that cohabiting couples are more likely to separate.

It can be problematic to generalisehere as there will always be examplesof grandparents who are a negativeinfluence in these situations, butresearch3.9 has found thatgrandparental involvement issignificantly associated with reducedmaladjustment in families experiencingdivorce or separation. They act as“buffers” to mitigate against some ofthe negative effects, providing essentialanchors and continuity for childrenwhen everything else around them may be changing. They also provideincreasing support for parents,particularly maternal grandparents forsingle mothers. Conversely paternalgrandparents may also be the ones to help facilitate communicationbetween their sons and their formerpartners, encouraging contact.

ACTIONRecognising the importance ofcommunication and also the roleof grandparents as influencers in their families, we want to seemore family counselling andmediation services involvinggrandparents and also targetingthem with their services.

of grandparents live within 10miles of their grandchildren

69%


Financial supportEvidence suggests that wheregrandparents are able to do so, theyprovide considerable financial supportfor their grandchildren. Indeed someare helping grandchildren more thantheir own children. The practice of“inheritance skipping” is becomingmore widespread. It has beenestimated that £4 billion a year is already inherited by secondgenerations3.10. In a recent survey 31%of grandparents had put money asideto help get their grandchildren on theproperty ladder. A recent HSBCstudy3.11 found that 16% ofgrandparents in their 60s and onethird of grandparents in their 70sprovide financial support tograndchildren. Grandparents are alsocontributing £470 million to ChildTrust Funds each year with one in 10making monthly direct debitcontributions3.12.

Older generations are often providingmore financial support than they arereceiving from family and friends. The recession means that families arebecoming even more dependent upongrandparental help.

A Grandparents Plus YouGov3.13

survey found that almost onethird (30.5%) of parents saidthat in the current financialsituation they were either likelyor very likely to turn to their ownmum or dad for financial help.

a year is already inherited by second generations

£4bn

We want to see:

1. more family counselling andmediation services involvinggrandparents and also targetingthem with their services.

Summary:Grandparents are playing an increasingrole in supporting family life, filling theparenting gap in a variety of ways,particularly in times of crisis.


Influencing parentsWe have already outlined above the ways in which grandparents caninfluence parents at times of crisis,particularly during separation anddivorce. But grandparents can alsohold sway over parents’ day to daychoices and behaviour. Parents tell usthat they regularly turn to grandparentsfor advice and information. Whenasked who they would go to for adviceabout their child’s health and fitnessone third (32%)4.1 said their own mumor dad ahead of friends, the internet or other media. In the recessionparents are increasingly likely to turn to grandparents for advice and supportwith almost six out of 10 (57%) sayingthey are either likely or very likely to do so4.2.

Perhaps the most significant point ofgrandparental influence over parents is when a baby is born. Grandparentswere by far the biggest influencer atthis point, ahead of doctors, otherhealthcare professionals, friends andfamily members. Over six out of 10(63%) parents said that their own mumor dad was important in supportingthem and their immediate family whenthey had a baby4.3.

Explicitly targeting grandparents withadvice and information is thereforecritical to reaching parents. Yetgovernment campaigns such as theDepartment of Health’s Change for Life campaign repeatedly fail to do this and as a result risk limiting theirimpact and effectiveness.

ACTIONWe want to see all relevantgovernment campaigns,particularly those aimed atchanging parental or familybehaviour, including a strategyfor reaching and influencinggrandparents.

04.Grandparents as influencers

parents say in the recessionthey are increasingly likely toturn to grandparents for adviceand support.

6out of10


Educating childrenResearchers4.4 have found thatincreasing grandparental involvement(ie more than closeness) is associatedwith better child adjustment and fewerpeer problems. Sharing agrandchild’s hobbies and interests or grandparents involvement in school and education indicated alower maladjustment score than thosewho did not have that degree ofinvolvement. Significantly, theserelationships then translate into caringrelationships with grandparents andolder people later in life.

A range of factors predictedgrandparental involvement includingthe child’s age (the younger the child,the more involved grandparentswere), living in a less deprived area,frequent contact, good grandparentalhealth and grandparent-grandchildcloseness. Geographical proximitywas not necessarily important as newtechnology overcomes these barriers.

Parents are important gate keepers to these relationships. Where therelationship with either parent breaksdown or becomes problematic thenthe grandparent is more likely toexperience problems with contact (see chapter 6 below).

Passing on knowledge and skillsthrough the generations is also a vital role for grandparents. Forexample, passing on nutritionalinformation and cooking skills tochildren may be challenging for time-poor parents, but could be apractical role for grandparents to play which in turn helps to combatchildhood obesity. Grandparents aresignificant educators, from teachingvery young children to read and write through to soft social skills for teenagers, from history lessonsthrough to practical know how.Children are sometimes more likely to listen to grandparents while parents may struggle to be heard.

Shaping communitiesRecent research for the Equality andHuman Rights Commission found thatone in 10 of all children are nowmixed race4.5. This presents challengesfor cultural and personal identity andrequires greater focus on what givesus our identity and what we need tocarry forward with us in to futuregenerations. Grandparents and thewider family provide a living culturalheritage that children may need.Understanding our past isfundamental to understandingourselves, giving us a stronger senseof personal security and identity. So by simply facilitating wider familyinvolvement and supporting thosefamily ties we may improvecommunity cohesion.

A lack of understanding, leading to conflict between generationsundermines community cohesion.Because older people and youngpeople share a greater risk of living in poverty and are more likely to lacksocial capital, intergenerationalpractice to date has tended to focuson these two groups but not considerthe need for a multigenerationalapproach that looks at bringing arange of generations together.Community cohesion has also failedto include family intergenerationalexperiences as part of that communitypicture when in fact they areinextricably linked. Communities are built on families.

children now are mixed race

1in10


Summary:Grandparents are majorinfluencers on parent and childbehaviour and also help to shapecommunities.

We want to see:

1. All relevant governmentcampaigns, particularly thoseaimed at changing parental orfamily behaviour, including astrategy for reaching andinfluencing grandparents.

2. A campaign to promoteforthcoming age discriminationlegislation, to raise awarenessand to promote a culture ofrespect for older and youngerpeople.

3. Children’s centres becomefamily centres with a particularfocus on contact between thegenerations.

4. Community cohesion initiativesinclude a focus on the role ofthe wider family.

We believe that by adopting an approach that builds on thewider family within communitieswe will achieve a morerepresentative, realistic and inclusive approach tointergenerational practice.Children’s centres could be a focusfor this activity and become familycentres with a particular focus oncontact between the generations.

The forthcoming statutory duty onpublic bodies to promote equality,including on grounds of age willmean that local authorities and otherservice providers will have to takesteps to address the effects of agediscrimination within theircommunities. Ageism is one of the most pernicious forms ofdiscrimination. Without resource topromote the new legislation and toraise awareness we are unlikely torealise the cultural change that isneeded. This is important for bothyoung and old alike.


A recent Grandparents PlusYouGov5.1 poll asked parents of children under 18 who theywould most trust to look after the welfare of their child if theywere ever unable to care forthem themselves. Their own mumor dad came top at 65%, closelyfollowed by other family at 56%and friends at 27%. This wasconsistent across all ages,although significantly higher for parents aged 18-34 withthree out of four (74%) preferringgrandparents. Almost no one(1%) opted for care to beprovided by children’s services.Yet the evidence shows thatwhere children’ s services placechildren into foster care only16% are with family and friendscarers5.2. The rest are placed intonon-relative foster care. Here weexplore the reasons for that, weconsider the benefits of familyand friends care and suggestways in which grandparents and other carers could be better supported.

What is family and friends(“kinship”) care?It is thought that there are 200,000grandparents in the UK caring for their grandchildren full-time5.3. The term ‘kinship carer’ covers a wide range of relationships to the child but grandparents, particularlygrandmothers, followed by aunts anduncles on the maternal side are themain carers. There are a number ofdifferent care arrangements that canbe made.

05.Family and friends care

grandparents in the UK caringfor grandchildren full-time

200,000


Private fostering This is where a parent makes a privateagreement with another adult, usuallya family member, to care for theirchild. Often local authorities areunaware of these arrangementsalthough legally parents are obliged to inform them if the care lasts morethan 28 days. There is a concern aboutprivate arrangements of which localauthorities remain unaware as there isno way of determining whether or notthey are in fact in children’s bestinterests.

Family and friends care This is the care of a looked after child within the extended family orsocial network. This applies to anyarrangement in which a child is caredfor full-time by family or friends butthey are not recognised by the localauthority as foster carers. Thisarrangement is quite common butusually does not trigger any financialsupport for the carer.

Family and friends foster care This indicates the involvement ofchildren’s services. The child is beingcared for by family or friends whohave been recognised by the localauthority as foster carers. As a resultthe carer should receive financialsupport. However, practice varieswidely between local authorities. Asurvey of local authorities in 2003found that less than half had specificguidelines on kinship care5.4. Theconfusion means that lawyers areincreasingly succeeding in challenginglocal authority practice.

Why do family and friends carers step in?There are a number of differentcircumstances in which grandparentsand other carers step in, for example,parental alcohol and substancemisuse, death or illness, domesticviolence or imprisonment. We explore three main causes here.

Alcohol and substance misuse200,000 – 300,000 children inEngland and Wales have at least oneparent with a serious drug problem5.5.1.3 million children in the UK areaffected by parental alcoholproblems5.6. Only 37% of fathers and64% of mothers who misuse drugs stilllive with their children5.7. One of thebiggest causes of parents being unableto care for their children is parentalalcohol and substance abuse. Farmerand Moyers5.8 found that 60% of thechildren who were cared for by familyand friends had been exposed toalcohol and substance misuse. Othersexperience domestic violence, parentalimprisonment, illness and bereavementor a combination of these things. Bythe time that grandparents or otherfamily members take over the care ofchildren they often display emotionaland behavioural difficulties at asignificantly higher rate than childrenin the general population, but similarto those children placed in non-relativefoster care.

ACTIONBecause alcohol and substancemisuse is such a significant factorin many of these cases we wantto see the welfare of children ofproblem substance userspromoted across all drug andalcohol strategies at a national,regional and local level.

This means recognising the additionalsupport that family and friends carersmay need to educate children aboutthe risks of alcohol and substancemisuse when they may have alreadybeen significantly exposed to it andmay perceive it to be “normal”.

ImprisonmentGovernment research has found thatmaintaining family contact has asignificant impact on the successfulresettlement of, and likelihood of

children in kinship care havebeen exposed to alcohol anddrug misuse

6out of10


reoffending by ex-prisoners5.9. Prisonerswho receive visits from their familiesare twice as likely to gain employmentand three times more likely to have ahome to go to when they are released.7%5.10 of children will see a parentimprisoned during their school yearsand about 160,0005.11 children eachyear have a parent sent to custody.Grandparents play a significant role in caring for children when parents,particularly mothers, are imprisoned.The number of women in prison hasmore than doubled in recent years5.12.Women offenders tend to beimprisoned for relatively minoroffences but the impact on the family is significant because of their role asmain carer. Because there are only asmall number of women prisons theyare also more likely to be held somedistance from their families, reducingthe opportunities for regular visits.Without a grandparent or anotherfamily member top step in children will be taken into care. Currentlyinformation about children with aparent in prison is not reliably orroutinely recorded, and children of prisoners are not treated as apotentially vulnerable group.

BereavementWinston’s Wish calculates that every 30 minutes, a child in the UK isbereaved of a parent5.13. It is estimatedthat at least 250,000 children andyoung people are growing up after the death of their mum or dad5.14. In the absence of a surviving parentmany of these children will be caredfor by grandparents or other familymembers. Their particular feelings of loss and bereavement will becompounded by the grandparent’sown loss as it may be their child whohas died. Families in these situationsneed support and counselling.Grandparents need guidance to helpthem to support their grandchildren inan age appropriate way through thisexperience. Like other kinship carers,they will need financial support,particularly if the bereavement issudden. These families may beunknown to children’s services but they will almost certainly be in touchwith a GP, hospital or local school for example.

ACTIONWe want to see all relevantprofessionals equipped to directfamilies to any counselling andpractical support that may be available to them.

kinship care – ten common experiences• Relationships change, grandparents

become parents, things getcomplicated

• They share a sense of loss with thechild they care for

• It is unclear who is in control – who has parental responsibility?

• They didn’t plan to become kinship carers

• They do not fit in to the fosteringand adoption system

• They receive little or no information• They receive little or no money• They receive little or no advice

and support• Their own lives, health, income

and well-being are affected• They don’t feel they have a choice

What does the law say aboutkinship care?The Children Act (1989) prioritisesfamily and friends placements, directingthat when a child is looked after awayfrom home the local authority “shallmake arrangements enabling him tolive with a relative, friend, or otherperson connected with him unless thatwould not be reasonably practical orconsistent with his welfare”.

This requirement is then reinforced by guidance which stipulates that “ifyoung people cannot remain at home,placement with relatives or friendsshould be explored before other forms of placement are considered”.

of children in local authorityfoster care are living with familyor friends care

16%


Despite this clear direction, theevidence suggests that family andfriends care is not being used to the degree that it could and should.Farmer and Moyers5.15 found that only4% of placements were instigated bysocial workers. The same study foundthat in almost 6 out of 10 (57%) caseswhere stranger placements were used,family and friends care was not evenconsidered. Latest DCSF data indicatesthat 16 % of children in local authorityfoster care are living with family andfriends carers5.16.

The Children and Young Person’s Act(2008) reasserts the role of kinshipcare in an attempt to achieve what theChildren Act 1989 did not. Much willdepend on the clarity of the guidanceaccompanying the legislation, but after20 years of legislation with limitedeffect, there must be other barriersgetting in the way.

What are the barriers?Age discriminationGrandparents in our grandparentsRaising Grandchildren Networkroutinely claim that they are told bysocial workers that they are “too old”to care for their grandchild. Currentlythere is nothing illegal about this formof discrimination. A child may haveexperienced considerable loss ordisruption in their lives so professionalssometimes conclude that the risk oflosing a grandparent would be moredisruptive to the child than placingthem into non-relative foster care. But they may be basing their decisionon a stereotype of what they believe an older person may or may not becapable of. Even if grandparents havehealth problems it does not necessarilymean they are incapable of caring fortheir grandchild. Part of the process ofplacing children would includeplanning for the child in the event of the serious illness or death of thekin carer. Additionally, this assessmentfails to recognise that removingchildren from or failing to place themin the care of those who know themand with whom they may have anestablished relationship is also a form of loss.

New legislation in the forthcomingequality bill is expected to outlaw agediscrimination in goods facilities andservices.

ACTIONWe want to see children’s servicescovered by this new law toensure that grandparents canchallenge these decisions.

A question of judgementDeciding to place a child into the careof family and friends requires carefulconsideration of the circumstances andthe evidence including the risk to thechild. We know from high profile casessuch as Victoria Climbié that relativescan and do abuse children. Thesejudgements are not easy ones to makeand require considerable professionalexpertise. In many ways placing a child into non-relative foster care isregarded as the “safer” option, despiteall the evidence which shows thenegative impact it has on a child’s life chances. It is also a way ofprofessionals avoiding the need for a thorough and lengthy assessment.Yet we know that looked after childrenare far less likely than other children to achieve 5 A*-C GCSEs (12%compared to 59% for all children5.17),they are also more likely to have amental health disorder. 30% of careleavers aged 19 are not in education,employment or training (NEET)5.18.

Social workers’ judgement can beclouded by the stigma that attachesitself to a family. If a parent has apoor or abusive relationship with their child then the assumption is thatmust be the fault of the grandparent,so they cannot be suitable carers.Professionals can also be steeredaway from kinship care simplybecause the impression they have of the family may be driven by theparent’s own poor relationship withthe grandparent. It is importanttherefore that social workers do notform a view of the family withoutspeaking to family members.

Family group conferencing has provento be a useful way of considering theoptions for family and friends careeither before or soon after a child istaken into local authority care. This iswhere social workers bring interestedparties, including the extended family,together to discuss the welfare of thechild and discuss his/her future.


ACTIONWe want local authorities to give all families access to familygroup conferencing either beforeor, in emergency situations,immediately after a child is taken into care.

This would almost certainly result in an increase in family and friendsplacements.

If parents are found to be abusing the child, or to have a drug problemthen social workers may conclude that grandparents in turn must be the cause of the problem rather thanthe solution. Yet there is evidence5.19

to challenge this. Even in circumstanceswhere the grandparent’s relationshipwith the parent may have beenextremely problematic they can still provide suitable care for theirgrandchild.

Grandparents Plus believes thatwe need to equip social workersto make those difficultjudgements and support theprofession to develop a confidentapproach to kinship care. Thecollective professional knock to theirself-esteem as a result of the reportingof the baby P case is not in children’sbest interests because we need them to be able to exercise those difficultjudgements.

Because of the disproportionateamount of time social workers spendon paperwork and processes they are unable to carry out the kind ofcomplex family work demanded bykinship care.

ACTIONWe want professionals to besupported through a strategicallocation of resources to givethem regular opportunities forhigh quality kinship care trainingat both operational andmanagerial levels.

Inappropriate assessments It is likely that a family and friendscarer may not “fit” the profile of anacceptable foster placement. They may smoke, or their house may be too small. They may have a long-termhealth condition or may lack the skillsto parent a child with significantbehavioural problems. By assessingkinship carers in the same way as non-relative foster carers social workersmay deem them to be unsuitable.While in turn grandparents and familymembers may be offended by the factthat they are being treated as if theyhad no relationship with the child. Butthis is because the assessment they areusing is inappropriate for family andfriends carers. It is like fitting a squarepeg into a round hole.

ACTIONWe want to see every localauthority develop a tailoredkinship care assessment thatrecognises that this form of careis qualitatively different fromstranger foster care.

Case studyHampshire County CouncilKinship Care ProjectHampshire County Council runs adedicated kinship care project whichworks with family and friends carerswho are not registered as foster carers.The children are those who need to live away from home and who areassessed as Children in Need (underthe Children Act Section 17). FamilyGroup Conferences are used to makeplans for the child whilst grandparentsor other close relatives take on the careof the child. Parents retain parentalresponsibility whilst planning with theirrelatives for the care of the child. Thechild does not need to come into thecare system. Kinship carers are thenoffered a means-tested weekly kinshipallowance. They receive one to onesupport from a kinship care supportworker and have access to supportgroups. The carers’ support needs areassessed. They have access toparenting support programmes,training and information days andaccess to the fostering services coretraining.


Inappropriate conductGrandparents regularly tell us that theyfeel pressurised and even threatened bysocial workers to take children in totheir care. At a Grandparents RaisingGrandchildren Network meeting inMansfield, Nottinghamshire inFebruary 2009, a common experienceof the grandparents in the room wasbeing told that their grandchild is “very adoptable”. In response to thisgrandparents often agree to take thechild at a moment’s notice rather thanplace them into foster care amid fearthat they could be put up for adoption.They are not told about the optionsavailable to them.

ACTIONThis kind of bullying behaviour is completely unacceptable andstrongly highlights the need forkinship care training. We want to see an immediate end to this practice.

What are the options for familyand friends carers?A residence order applies until thechild is 16 but does not usually bringwith it additional financial support forfamily and friends carers. Parentalresponsibility remains with the parents.

A special guardianship order lasts untilthe child is 18 unless it is revoked bythe court. The special guardian hasparental responsibility and can makeall decisions about the child. Specialguardians are entitled to claim meanstested benefits and also to receive childbenefit. They can also claim assistancewith the cost of supporting contact withthe child’s parents and also servicessupport for the child and themselves.

An adoption order transfers parentalresponsibility to the child’s adoptivefamily and is not revocable.

What are the benefits of familyand friends care?This is a complex picture but theevidence does point to some tangiblebenefits of family and friends care for children.

Attachment and placement stabilityChildren placed into family and friendscare are more likely to feel secure,happy and integrated into the familythan those placed into non-relativefoster care. Many of the carers havestrong ties with the children. One study found that they were twice aslikely to be highly committed to thechild as stranger foster-carers.5.20

Placements also tend to last longer and are more stable.

Maintaining relationshipsBy remaining within their extendedfamily children are more likely to retain existing links with family andfriends, to maintain their own cultureand to stay in the same area or thesame school. They are also more likely to remain with their siblings and maintain contact with at least one parent. If for some reason theplacement breaks down then childrenare more likely to move to anotherrelative, sustaining their relationships and minimising disruption

Quality of careEvidence here is mixed. Farmer andMoyers5.21 found that family and friendscarers were more likely to have poorparenting skills and substantially moreof them than non-relative foster carerswere struggling to cope. Despite thisthe vast majority of placements werejudged to be positive for the child(73%) or adequate (14%). Hunt foundthat only one in 5 (20%) of kinshipplacements raised any major issues5.22.

Child well-beingDespite receiving less support thanchildren living with non-relative fostercarers children living in kinship careappear to do at least as well, withsome research5.23 suggesting that they do better. Hunt’s research found thatalmost half (47%) of the children infamily and friends placements weredoing relatively well with only one in 5 (19%) having problems with more than two measures. However therehave been no longitudinal studiescomparing outcomes for children infamily and friends care with those innon-relative foster care.


ACTIONAs a priority we would like to see the Department for ChildrenSchools and Families invest inimproving the evidence base on kinship care.

What do family and friendscarers need?RecognitionKinship care is an essential part of the framework of care and support.But it is a different form of care to non-relative foster care and it shouldbe recognised as such and given itsown status.

Financial support Farmer and Moyers found evidence of financial hardship in three out offour (75%) cases5.24. Family and friendscarers often find that they receive nofinancial support for the children theycare for, despite stepping in a short-notice to provide full-time care. Oftengrandparents report that they thoughtthey would get financial help but thenreceive nothing. In many cases localauthorities children’s services will only provide financial assistance if they have assessed the carer as afamily and friends foster carer. Less formal arrangements do notqualify for any help.

In our YouGov5.25 poll we asked the general public whethergrandparents and other familymembers who step in to care for a child for more than 28 daysshould be entitled to financialhelp from the state with the cost. eight out of 10 peopleagreed, over a third (36%)strongly agreed.

As well as a need for ongoing support,there are considerable immediatefinancial costs associated with takingon the care of a child, such as buyinga bed, clothing or other personalitems. Yet kinship carers cannot claimany assistance with these costs.

Grandparents or family members who want to obtain a legal order tosafeguard a child do not qualify forlegal aid, and so have to meet the cost themselves. We believe this isunacceptable and want to seegrandparents and other family carers given access to pubic funding in these circumstances.

ACTIONWe believe the lack of financialsupport for families in thesesituations is unacceptable. We want to see:

children raised by grandparentsand other family memberstreated as children in need to ensure that they have allnecessary support, includingfinancial support.

family and friends who areraising a child who cannot live with their parents for more than 28 days entitled to a national allowance.

family and friends carers eligible for grants to help with one off costs.

family and friends carers qualify for legal aid to apply for a legal order to safeguard a child.

believe that kinship carersshould receive financial support

8out of10


Advice and informationIt is left to voluntary sector adviceservices to fill the information gap forfamily and friends carers. The legaland benefits system is extremelycomplicated and people need help to deal with it, particularly at a time(such as the death of their own child or their alcohol or substance misuse)when they may be experiencingconsiderable stress and distressthemselves. Local authorities should be required to provide information and advice to family and friendscarers, including informing them oftheir options and their rights whenfaced with the choice of stepping in to provide care for a child.

Practical helpFamily and friends carers often needhelp to deal with child behaviouralproblems that children may have. Yet they receive none of the training that foster carers receive because theyare not foster carers. Similarly they are not targeted by parenting initiativesbecause they are not parents, so theymay lack the parenting skills requiredto help a child with their homework or to combat bullying at school. Bytreating the children they care for aschildren in need we would begin toaddress this by triggering practical and financial support.

Good quality respite care would alsobe welcome. Family and friends carersneed regular breaks so that they canprovide the ongoing care that the childneeds. But respite care is rarelyavailable to them.

It would also be welcome for them to have access to services such ascounselling to cope with emotional and psychological issues for them and for the child together withmediation to handle any conflictsituations that may arise, for examplewith one or more parents.

Someone they can trustAnecdotal evidence from ourGrandparents Raising GrandchildrenNetwork suggests that trust in socialworkers is low. At the same time there is a considerable need for anadvocate, someone they can trust to speak for them within children’sservices and also to liaise with otherservice providers on their behalf. There is clearly a role for kinship careworkers who are not necessarily partof the adoption and fostering serviceand who understand and valuekinship care.

ACTIONWe want to see:Access to practical advice andsupport for family and friendscarers to help them deal with achild’s behavioural, emotionaland educational needs.

Dedicated kinship supportservices such as facilitated groupwork, advocacy and facilitatedgroup support in every localauthority area.

Parenting initiatives such asParent Know How targetinggrandparents.

Good quality respite care for grandparents and familymembers who are caring for achild in the absence of parents.

Access to counselling andmediation services when they need it.

Someone they can trust as an advocate within children’sservices.


Case studyNetwork and groupsGrandparents Plus has been fundedby the Big Lottery Fund to co-ordinatea network of grandparents andextended family members raising theirgrandchildren. The GRG Networkbrings together grandparents to givethem a voice, to share experiences, tofind solutions and to tell government,children’s services, the NHS, drug andalcohol agencies and others whatneeds to change.

We work with many support groupsacross the country to reach as manygrandparents as possible, organisingevents together and providing a largernetwork for smaller groups to join. Arecent event, held in Nottinghamshire,was organised with local charityHetty’s who support the family andfriends of drug and alcohol users.

Help when a child returns homeMost children in either family andfriends care or non-relative foster care eventually return to their families. This process receives little or nosupport, yet the problems that causedthe child to go into care in the firstplace may return, or may have never gone away. We believe that it is unrealistic to expect families to function in a sustainable way withoutsupporting the process of the childreturning home both in the days andweeks immediately afterwards andover the months that follow.

ACTIONWe want to see local authoritiesplaced under a duty to providesupport if and when a childreturns to their families after aperiod of time in non-relativefoster care or the care of otherfamily and friends.

We rely on family and friends toprovide care for some of the mostdemanding children in extremelydifficult circumstances. Informalarrangements are regarded by someas the cheap option but when it comesto proactively placing children intofamily and friend care, we also findthat children’s services are oftenreluctant to use them because of thedifficult judgement call they areexpected to make. Family and friendscarers receive little or no support andhave an uncertain status. Thesefamilies are the forgotten families offamily policy. Again we would arguethat because it is largely grandmotherswho provide this care their contributionis taken for granted and unrecognised.

Case studyGrandparent raisinggrandchildren“My daughter killed herself nine yearsago; her partner had died of a drugoverdose and she did not wish to livewithout him. She arranged her deathso that her two children, a girl ofseven and a boy of just one year,were staying with me. My daughterwas devoted to her children and theyto her and I still miss and think of herevery day.

“There was never any question of the children not staying with me andinitially social services agreed tocontribute towards my grandson’snursery costs as I was working. Butthe contributions didn’t last long andceased well before he started school.At no time did they offer practicalhelp, nor did I expect it.

“I now work part-time and receivework and tax credit and, after muchnegotiating, £50 a week from socialservices which could stop at any time.The social worker told me I was theonly grandparent who had asked formoney.

“After such a traumatic start I ampleased at the way the children haveturned out. We are happy togetherand I hope to live long enough to seethem into adulthood. However, thefact remains that their lives have beenseverely blighted and mine is hardlyas I had imagined.”

Most children in foster carewill return to their families


Summary:Family and friends carers often receivelittle or no help and have uncertain status.It is time to give them and the childrenthey care for the support they need.

We want to see:

1. The welfare of children of problemsubstance users promoted across all drug and alcohol strategies at anational, regional and local level.

1. all relevant professionals equipped to direct families to counselling andpractical support that may beavailable to them.

2. the children raised by grandparentsand other family members treated aschildren in need to ensure that theyhave all necessary support, includingfinancial support.

3. family and friends who are raising a child who cannot live with theirparents for more than 28 daysentitled to a national allowance.

4. family and friends carers eligible forgrants to help with one off costs.

5. family and friends carers qualify forlegal aid if they need to apply for alegal order to safeguard a child.

6. all social work courses to includetraining on kinship care.

7. access to practical advice andsupport for family and friends carers to help them deal with achild’s behavioural, emotional and educational needs.

8. dedicated kinship support services such as facilitated groupwork, advocacy and facilitatedgroup support in every localauthority area.

9. children’s services covered by agediscrimination legislation to ensurethat grandparents can challenge the decisions made.

10. the Department for Children Schoolsand Families invest in improving theevidence base on kinship care.

In particular local authorities:

11. required to provide information and advice to family and friendscarers, including informing them of their rights and all the optionsopen to them when faced with thechoice of stepping in to provide care for a child.

12. develop tailored kinship careassessments to end the “square peg in a round hole”.

13. fully implement the Children andYoung Person’s Act 2008, followingboth the spirit and the letter of the law.

14. give all families access to familygroup conferencing either before or,in emergency situations, immediatelyafter a child is taken into care.

15. ensure that professionals aresupported by regular opportunitiesfor high quality kinship care training at both operational and managerial levels.

16. placed under a duty to providesupport for the return of children to their families after a period of time in non-relative foster care or the care of family and friends.

17. provide good quality respite care forgrandparents and family memberswho are caring for a child in theabsence of parents.

18. ensure access to counselling andmediation services when family and friends carers need it.


A familiar yet unknown lifestageFamilies may be changing butnevertheless we still define ourselvesin terms of our relationships to others.One international survey found thatwhen asked who they are two thirdsof people around the world say “myfamily”6.1. At different stages in her life the same woman can be a wife, a single parent, a partner, a mother, asister, a grandmother. Each representsa step on a life-stage, a developmentin our lives. There is much writtenabout becoming a mother, and to alesser (but growing) extent, becominga father. But little attention has beenpaid to the grandparental life stage.What impact does becoming agrandparent have on your attitudesand decisions? There is little researchavailable to answer that question. A recent British Social Attitudes (BSA)analysis6.2 points towards the need forfurther work. It makes the simple butimportant point that parents do notstop being parents when their childrenreach the age of 18. They continue todefine themselves as parents. 86% of the over 65s are parents. 14% are childless. This study finds thatparenthood does appear to havesome effects on people’s attitudes that

are not attributable to age and class.Their children may have left homesome time ago, but their parental role (and for many we can readgrandparental relationship) willcontinue to be an important defininginfluence for them.

Further research is needed here.Unless we fully understand theparental/grandparental lifestage we will continue to misshow this determines attitudes,behaviour and choices.

06.Puttinggrandparents in the picture

You don’t stop being a parentjust because your child turns 18


Is a rights-based approach the way forward?The right to family lifeArticle 8 of the Human Rights Act(1998) enshrines the right to respectfor private and family life while Article5 of the United Nations Conventionon the Rights of the Child (1989)states that:

Parties shall respect theresponsibilities, rights and duties ofparents or, where applicable, themembers of the extended family orcommunity as provided for by localcustom, legal guardians or otherpersons legally responsible for thechild, to provide, in a mannerconsistent with the evolving capacitiesof the child, appropriate direction and guidance….

There are clearly competing andpotentially conflicting rights forchildren, parents and grandparents.Grandparents Plus believes that our primary focus should be on thewelfare and rights of the child. The assertion of any adult rights must, therefore, be exercised in a way that is consistent with this. Webelieve there are three principleswhich should be met. We must:• Promote the welfare of

the child• Reduce and manage conflict

wherever possible• Support a child’s family

relationships

Family separation1 million6.3 children are unable to seetheir grandparents because familieshave either separated or lost touch.This represents a significant loss to thechild in terms of his or her family life,future support and personal andcultural identity as well as a huge lossto the grandparents.

Recent Gingerbread research6.4 foundthat seven out of 10 families there issome contact between the child andthe non-resident parent. But in threeof 10 cases contact is absentaltogether. We know that nine out of10 non-resident parents are male6.5. It is overwhelmingly the paternalgrandparents who lose out on contact with grandchildren whenparents separate. After separation the contribution that maternalgrandparents make goes up, whilepaternal grandparents have theopposite experience. Beforeseparation six out of 10 paternalgrandparents report feeling very closeto their grandchild but that drops to three out of 10 after separation6.6.

Care and adoption proceedingsWhen neither parent is able to carefor the child then care and adoptionproceedings may follow. As the lawstands grandparents have noright to be included in care andadoption proceedings and theyare required to apply for leavefor orders under the Children’sAct 1989. For many grandparentsthis legal process presents them witha significant cost, one that they maystruggle to afford. Is it justifiable totreat grandparents in the same wayas any other adult in this situation orshould they be able to seek an orderunder the Children’s Act (1989)without first seeking leave to apply?The Government’s view is that therequirement to seek leave is in placein order to deter “vexatious” or“frivolous” applications but we believe this is based on afundamental misunderstanding of the motivations and actions ofgrandparents in these situations.

ACTIONWe would like to see a review of the requirement thatgrandparents have to apply for leave for a residence orcontact order.

children are unable to see theirgrandparents because families have either separated or lost touch

1m


Minimising conflictIt is generally accepted that conflictbetween adults is bad for children. A recent BSA survey showed that eight out of 10 (78%) adults believe it isconflict rather than separation thatharms children6.7. This would seem tobe borne out by evidence suggestingthat experience of conflict can be asignificant determining factor for childoutcomes. Children in intact familiesexperiencing high levels of conflict doless well than children in single parenthouseholds.6.8

Parents and children can often havevery different perspectives on thesame situation. In a survey teenagersand parents were both asked whetherthey agreed with the statement,“parents getting on well is one of the most important factors in raisinghappy children” seven in 10 of theteenagers agreed compared to just a third of the parents6.9. We believethat after ensuring the safety of thechild and resident parent (usually themother) the primary focus should beon minimising family conflict. Despitea recent government announcementof a boost to funding for relationshipservices, these services are not free tofamilies. We believe that if aminimum number of sessions wereavailable free of charge this wouldencourage take up at an earlier stagein the relationship breakdown andcould help to reduce conflict. Just aswe prioritise our physical and mentalwellbeing, so we should also prioritisethe health of our family relationships.

ACTIONWe want to see every family who experiences relationshipbreakdown entitled to three freesessions of relationship support,counselling or mediation.

Could more be done within existinglaw to ensure parents support achild’s wider family relationships?When couples with children aredivorcing they complete a Statementof Arrangements form, setting outwhere and with whom the childrenwill be living and what the contactarrangements with the non-residentparent will be. It includes details ofthe child’s childcare arrangements,their school and any specialeducational needs they may have aswell as details about other children in the family. But there is no referenceto relationships with other people,including grandparents and the wider family, who may be importantto the child.

This stage in the divorce processcould become an opportunity forparents to be required to state who in their child’s life is particularlyimportant to them and what they will do as parents to support thoserelationships. This information couldthen be shared with those named inthe form who in turn would be able to return to the court if either parentfailed to facilitate the contact as theysuggested. It does not go as far as to introduce grandparental rights but this would force parents to at least consider the child’s widerrelationships and would emphasisethat it is their responsibility as parentsto support those relationships if theyare in their child’s best interests.Divorce is such a painful and stressfulexperience that parents may notdeliberately want to excludegrandparents and other familymembers but may struggle to thinkbeyond their own immediatecircumstances. This modest stepwould at least help them to do that.

ACTIONWe want to see the Statement of Arrangements for childreninclude what steps parents will undertake to support achild’s relationships with their grandparents and other important people in the child’s life.


Is a presumption of contact the wayforward?This would mean that contact withfathers and potentially, grandparentsand other family members would bepresumed to be in the child’s bestinterests unless a case had beenmade to state otherwise. However,when one considers how this couldapply to parents, it could beproblematic and potentially in conflictwith the welfare of the child as set outin the 1989 Children Act. Those caseswhich go to court tend to be the mostdifficult ones and involve higher levelsof conflict. They also tend to have adisproportionately high rate (22%) ofallegations of domestic violence6.10.Limited evidence from a system ofpresumed contact in Australia alsosuggests that it results in more litigationnot less6.11. For these reasons webelieve that a presumption of contact is not the answer.

Should grandparents be told of any adoption proceedings?The child’s right to family life wouldsuggest that grandparents should be informed of any adoptionproceedings, to at least give them the opportunity to apply to care for thechild themselves. A recent legal case6.12

resulted in a court deciding that amother had the right to put her childup for adoption without notifying thefather or the grandparents. This isbecause parental responsibility liessolely with mothers unless she ismarried to the child’s father. These are difficult cases and many factorshave to be considered, including thewelfare of the mother, but we believe it is in the child’s best interest to atleast give the grandparents theopportunity to be considered aspotential carers for the child alongsideany prospective adopter.

ACTIONWe want to see grandparentsnotified of any care and adoptionproceedings unless it can bedemonstrated that this would not be in the interests of the child or the welfare of the parent with care.

Gender, age discrimination and stereotypesEvidence from France6.13 points tograndfathers playing a more activerole than they have done previously,suggesting that they may be liberatedby their grandparental role in a waythat they were unable to be when theywere fathers. The gender divide wasmuch starker 30 or 40 years ago. A father in the 1950s or 1960s wouldnot have been at the birth of theirchildren, would have worked longhours and may not have spent muchtime playing or interacting with them.Anecdotal evidence suggests that asgrandfathers they experience asecond chance to fulfil a fatherly rolethat they were unable to achieve thefirst time around.

Today’s fathers, on the other hand, are more involved than ever. Over nineout of 10 dads take time off aroundthe birth of their child6.14. Between1975 and 1997 dad’s care of infantsand young children increased by800%6.15. A Fatherhood Institute surveyfound that eight out of 10 women andsix out of 10 men agreed that fatherswere as good as mothers at caring forchildren6.16. It will be interesting to seewhat kind of grandfathers these dadsbecome in the years ahead.

“the village raises the child”The role of the matriarch in certain societies is still very powerful, as is theexpectation that the extended familyand the community share the task ofbringing up the next generation. In these cultures age commands respectand is not regarded as weakness. Inmany Indian and Pakistani families for example, the extended family ratherthan the nuclear model is the norm. So the expectation may be that acouple would live with one set ofparents, usually the paternalgrandparents. In the UK over one in 4Indian families live with their children’spaternal grandparents6.17. For blackCaribbean families one in 10 live withtheir maternal grandparents6.18. Threegenerations in one household istherefore not uncommon.


In the United States at 5.5% the proportion of households where grandparents are raising grandchildren is significantly higherthan inBritain where it is 2%.6.19.

It is perhaps stating the obvious to say that grandparents are as diverse as families. But it is still the case thatmaternal grandmothers play aparticularly active role in family life andthe care of children. Because they aredefined in terms of their relationshipnot only with their grandchild but withtheir child (ie the parent), we fail toconsider that they have a choiceabout the role they play asgrandparent, in a way which doesn't apply to the parental role.

It is this combination of age andgender stereotyping which rendersgrandmothers invisible in policy terms.We simply take their contribution forgranted. After all, if they didn’t lookafter their grandchildren, what elsewould they do? Well, we may be aboutto find out. Evidence suggests that thebaby boomer generation may not beso ready and willing to fill the shoes oftoday’s grandparents. Women in their50s and 60s today will almost certainlyhave spent more of their lives workingthan their mothers. They are theconsumer generation who have alsobenefited from the creation of thewelfare state. Defined by characteristicsof individualism and social activism

and relatively well off compared toprevious generations of older people,baby boomers expect to continue tolive life to the full and enjoy theirretirement. They value theirindependence and may well beresistant to providing the informal carethat their own mothers have provided.

Today’s parents will be working untilthey are 70 or more and so willprobably savour their retirement whenit eventually comes. They are alsomore likely than their mothers andfathers to be carrying considerableburden of personal debt and will beless well prepared for their retirement,so this generation may find that theyhave to work rather than care.

Indian families live with paternal grandparents

1in4

Living with grandparents by baby’s ethnic group

Maternal grandparent(s)Paternal grandparent(s)

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Dex and Joshi Millennium Cohort Study 2004


Summary:Significantly more could be done tounderstand the grandparentallifestage. We need to go further tosupport and recognise the role ofgrandparents and the extended family,particularly where families split up.

We want to see:

1. further research into thegrandparental lifestage.

2. every family who experiencesrelationship breakdown entitledto three free sessions ofrelationship support, counsellingor mediation.

3. a review of the requirement thatgrandparents have to apply forleave for a residence or contactorder.

4. the Statement of Arrangementsfor children to include whatsteps parents will undertake tosupport a child’s relationshipswith their grandparents andother important people in thechild’s life.

5. grandparents notified of anycare and adoption proceedingsunless it can be demonstratedthat this would not be in theinterests of the child or thewelfare of the parent with care.

A right to say “no”Objectively at least, seven out of 10 parents recognise that they cannotexpect grandparents to providechildcare, although one in 5 admit that they do expect it6.20. Dench andOgg6.21 found that where grandparentshad some degree of control over thecontribution they made, even if it werea significant contribution, they werehappier about it. The tension camewhen they felt under pressure to fulfil a role that they did not want.

When we asked today’s parents howlikely it was that they would beproviding regular childcare for theirgrandchildren six out of 10 (60%)thought it was likely, although thatfigure dropped to five out of 10 (52%)for parents with older children (11 –17). However one third (34%) said theywould be doing other things instead ofcaring for grandchildren. Significantly

this figure rose to half (50%) for thebaby boomer over 55s suggesting thatwhen the choice is imminent otherpossibilities become more attractive or essential. Four out of 10 (39%) saidthey thought they would be workingbeyond retirement age with less familytime than they would like6.22.

Policy makers and serviceproviders have to recognise that the significant contributionthat grandparents make today,particularly the provision ofinformal childcare, may not bethere to the same degree infuture generations. It is likely that formal childcare provisionwill need to grow to fill this gap.A greater understanding of thegrandparental lifestage both now and in the future would help us prepare for that.


The growth of “beanpole” four and five generation families,combined with more complex and fragmented family structuresand a significant and growingrole for grandparents requires us to look again at how thefamily is providing care for itselfand to reconsider the widerintergenerational contract. Inparticular we consider this in the context of the current debateabout social care reform.

We have already begun to explore (inchapter 2 above) the idea of rewardingcare with care. This would ensure thatthe care that a grandparent providesduring their lifetime counts towards the care that they may need themselveslater in life. Of course this could alsobe extended to include other groups of carers such as those caring fordisabled relatives. This reciprocity is not a new concept. In fact is it whatfamilies themselves have been doingfor centuries.

The challenge is twofold:

07.Completing theintergenerationalcontract

Should the state support andfacilitate that familyreciprocity, and if so how?

Should the state replicate thatreciprocity in the widerintergenerational contract?


Reciprocity – what does it mean?The reasons why one person cares for another are both personal andpractical. It may also be a verycomplex relationship. The concept ofa duty of care for someone who mayhave in turn provided care for us orour children, is not an unfamiliar onebut it is one that younger generationsmay find less acceptable and alsosomething that with other competingpressures, they simply cannot fulfil.We have already seen thatgrandparents enjoy and welcometheir grandparental role when theyhave a considerable degree of controlover it. That is, they can say “no”. Itwould be unacceptable therefore forthere to be any expectation orcompulsion on any family member,other than a parent to a child, toprovide care for another. But on theother hand, as we have suggested inthis report, there is more that could bedone to recognise, value and supportthose caring relationships and sofacilitate that reciprocity. There arealso significant benefits for families,society and the economy in doing so.

If we are to expect families to domore should that reciprocity bereplicated in wider society? Thisreciprocity already exists in the formof the welfare state. We are expectedto contribute when we can so thatourselves and our families can benefitwhen we need it. The nature of acontribution is limited to financialcontribution. However the PensionsAct 2007 sets a new precedent in that for the first time the substantialperiods of unpaid caring work thatpeople, mostly women, do will beplaced on a par with paid work andcount towards an individual’s statepension entitlement. Could thisrecognition of unpaid care be takenfurther and form part of theframework for social care reform? The advantage to the individual andtheir family would be to see the fullcontribution they have made to societyand to the economy valued. For

society it would reward andencourage caring, supportingreciprocity at the family level butstopping short of expectation orcompulsion. If we are all to beexpected to contribute more towardsour own care needs, and that is likely,then the contribution someone hasmade throughout their lives,particularly when they have sacrificedearnings in order to do so, shouldcount towards any care they mayhave to pay for themselves in areformed social care system.

Enhancing the wellbeing of older people and supportingfamily lifeThe Government has prioritised theneed to personalise social care. Thisis very welcome because all too oftenwe focus on the care need, not theperson who needs care. But wecannot successfully personalise careunless we recognise the social capitalin our relationships. That is, familymatters and not only because of thecare they provide. There is a welcomeemphasis on the role of family andinformal carers in the Government’sNational Dementia Strategy. But this is almost entirely in the form of thecare they provide rather thanunderstanding the intrinsic value ofrelationships for the wellbeing of theperson with dementia. Evidence7.1

shows that reducing the isolation ofolder people is fundamental to theirwellbeing and in turn affects theirlikelihood of needing medical orservice interventions.

Grandparents Plus believes thatwe should consider older peoplein terms of the lifestageexperiences, that is as parents,grandparents or greatgrandparents instead of simplyseeing them as older people.Contact between older people, theirfamilies and carers is fundamental tothe way care is shaped and delivered.Many users of the care system will begrandparents. Contact with theirfamilies may well be in the form ofinformal care provided to them but it may also be simply maintaining“normal” family visits. Most olderpeople are cared for in their ownhomes but for 420,0007.2 olderpeople this is not the case and theyare cared for in care homes. When

We will not personalise socialcare unless we recognise thatfamily relationships matter


an older person goes into a carehome they leave behind them theirpersonal and familiar surroundings.They may find that they have verylimited space to accommodatepersonal items. They may also beconfused and anxious about theexperience of moving home which isknown to be particularly traumatic forolder people. In these circumstancescontact with family members may beparticularly valuable to their wellbeing. We believe that morecould be done to support familycontact by making care homesmore accommodating andinviting for families, particularlythose with young children.

ACTIONWe want to see a play area ordedicated regular family timein every residential care home

to reduce isolation of olderpeople, encouraging families to visit regularly, supportgrandparental relationships and to make residential caremore welcoming to children.

We also know that the turnover ofcare workers is considerable so olderpeople find that the people caring forthem may not know or understandthem very well. So we believe that,where possible, this requires agreater role for family andfriends.

For example they could beencouraged to help the olderperson produce a “life story”book to inform care workersabout the person they are caring for including their needsand wishes, their interests andpast experiences as well as theircare needs.

However, this is no substitute forregular communication. It would alsobe helpful if care workers could takethe time to talk to family membersand find out more about the olderperson, the family’s concerns andwishes and the importance of theirrelationships for the older person’swellbeing.

ACTIONAs part of the personalisationagenda we want to see researchinto the experiences of familymembers, including children,who have regular contact withthe social care system, so that it can be informed by theirexperiences to support thefamily and to improve theoutcomes for the older person in need of care.

Reducing isolation also reduces the likelihood of needing medical or serviceinterventions


Summary:Unless we count the caring contributionthat grandparents make theintergenerational contract will beincomplete. In particular we should domore to facilitate and support familycontact in the social care system and buildon family intergenerational activity forcommunity intergenerational practice.

We want to see:

1. further exploration ofintergenerational reciprocity to establish how we couldreward care with care to findappropriate alternative forms of recognition for grandparents’caring contribution.

2. a play area or dedicated regularfamily time in every residentialcare home to reduce isolation of older people, encouragingfamilies to visit regularly,support grandparentalrelationships and to makeresidential care more welcomingto children.

3. families and carers encouragedto help the older personproduce a “life story” book to inform care workers aboutthe person they are caring forincluding their needs andwishes, their interests and past experiences as well as their care needs.

4. research into the experiences of family members, includingchildren, who have regularcontact with the social caresystem, so that personalisationcan be informed by theirexperiences to improve theexperiences and outcomes for the older person in need of care.

5. Government investing inintergenerational practice across a number of policy areasincluding community cohesionand social care.


Grandparents and the widerfamily play a significant role inour lives. They support parents,care for children and help toshape our communities. If westop to reflect on our ownfamilies we will almost certainlythink beyond our parents,identifying people who areimportant to us or who havebeen influential figures in ourfamily’s lives.

Grandparents Plus believes that weneed to recognise, value and supportthe role of grandparents and thewider family. By doing so we willdeliver fairer treatment for olderpeople, improve outcomes forchildren and recognise and supportthe choices parents make. Butimportantly for policy makers andservice providers, we will begin toconnect with the reality of people’sfamily lives in a new way. Our failureto do so to date has largely beendriven by a combination of age andgender stereotypes. The care that isstill mostly provided by older womencontinues to be widely used and isusually taken for granted. But this alsosits uncomfortably with us because asa society we do not like to seesignificant contributions from othersgoing unvalued and unrewarded.

Families define who we are, whatevertheir structure. We retain that focus onthe relationships that matter to usthroughout our lives, and thatincludes when we need careourselves. Personalisation in socialcare cannot be achieved unless weadopt an intergenerational approachand recognise and value familyrelationships. Intergenerationalpractice needs to be informed byfamily experiences.

This is an exciting time becausethis is an issue whose time hasarrived. We want to shape a newchapter in family policy for one of the oldest parts of family life. By doing so we hope that we canhelp to improve the lives ofchildren, parents, grandparentsand other family members. Butimportantly also address some of the injustice and povertyexperienced by family andfriends carers who have steppedinto the parental role full-time. Ithas to be wrong that somethingso fundamental to us is valued solittle. We want to work with ourpartners to try to change that.

08.Conclusion


References

Chapter 11.1 Office for National Statistics (ONS),

March 2009.http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?ID=949

1.2 Raphael Wittenberg et al. Future demandfor long-term care in the UK – a summaryof projections of long-term care financefor older people to 2051. JosephRowntree Foundation (JRF), 2004.

1.3 US evidence appears to be more reliablethan UK data on this. We do not havereliable population data identifying theage at which someone becomes agrandparent but the figure has beenvariously cited as anywhere between 47 – 54.

1.4 Office for National Statistics (ONS) April 2001.http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=1164&Pos=&ColRank=1&Rank=358

1.5 Economic Social Research Council, Society Today, December 2004.http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/PO/releases/2004/december/index4.aspx

1.6 Net Doctor, November 2008.http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/stepfamilies.htm

1.7 http://www.grandparents-association.org.uk/

1.8 Dench D, Ogg J and Thomson K. TheRole of Grandparents’ in eds Jowell R,Curtis J, Park A and Thomson K BritishSocial Attitudes: the 16th Report (1999),Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

1.9 Ibid.

Chapter 22.1 Labour Force Survey Time Series

Data (women aged 16-59 and men aged 16-64).

2.2 Cabinet Office Strategy Unit RealisingBritain’s Potential: Future StrategicChallenges for Britain, 2008.

2.3 Dex, S and Ward K. Parental Care andEmployment in Early Childhood. Analysisof the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS)Sweeps 1 and 2. EOC 2007.

2.4 The Economy and Older People AgeConcern, 2004.

2.5 The Future of Retirement: the new oldage. HSBC 2007.

2.6 Dex, S and Joshi, H. Millennium CohortStudy, Institute of Education, 2004.

2.7 Daycare Trust, Childcare costs survey,2009.

2.8 Survey findings Grandparents Plus YouGov poll February 2009.

2.9 Bell, A et al A question of balance, loneparents, childcare and work. Departmentfor Work and Pensions Research Report230, 2005.

2.10 Op cit Grandparents Plus YouGov 20092.11 Hanson, K and Hawkes, D. Journal of

Social Policy, Cambridge University Press,38: 211 – 239, 2009.

2.12 Saga Populous Poll, December 2007.http://www.saga.co.uk/corporate/press_releases/press_release.asp?id=1829&nextButton=20&dotyyyy=2008

2.13 Op cit. Grandparents Plus YouGov.2009.

2.14 Breakthrough Britain, Centre for SocialJustice 2007.

2.15 Germany offers paid leave tograndparents The Guardian 15/11/08.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/15/germany-grandparents-payed-leave-work

2.16 DWP analysis of 1998 BSA data.2.17 Lloyd, J. The state of intergenerational

relations today. ILC-UK, Oct 2008.2.18 Counsel and Care, Charter for Change,

Jan 2008; Lifelong, Oct 2008.2.19 Op cit Dex and Ward, MCS 2007.2.20 Enter the Timelords: transforming work to

meet the future, EOC, 2007.2.21 Arthur, S., Snape, D. and Dench, G.

The Moral Economy of Grandparenting,NatCen 2005.

Chapter 33.1 Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and

Children, Bristol University, 2007.3.2 Buchanan, A and Griggs, J. National

study on grandparenting and child well-being, Oxford University, June 2008.

3.3 Ibid.3.4 Families in Britain, evidence paper.

Department for Children, Schools andFamilies, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit,Dec 2008.

3.5 Royal College of Psychiatrists, Factsheet 14.http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfoforall/mentalhealthandgrowingup/14divorceandseparation.aspx

3.6 ONS 2007 data.http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14124

3.7 Focus on family, ONS, 2007.3.8 Population Trends 132, ONS, 2008.3.9 Op cit Buchanan and Griggs.2008.3.10 Huber, J and Skidmore, P. The New Old:

why baby boomers won’t be pensionedoff. Demos, 2003.

3.11 Op cit HSBC, 2007.3.12 The Children’s Mutual, Press Release

Grandparents contribute £470 million tochild trust funds every year. 29.09.08.

3.13 Op cit Grandparents Plus YouGov Feb 2009.

Chapter 44.1 Op cit Grandparents Plus/ You Gov poll,

February 2009.4.2 Op cit Grandparents Plus YouGov Feb

2009.4.3 Op cit Grandparents Plus YouGov Feb

2009.4.4 Op cit Buchanan and Griggs, 2008.4.5 Platt L, Ethnicity and family: relationships

with and between ethnic groups, Equalityand Human Rights Commission, January 2009.


Chapter 55.1 Op cit Grandparents Plus/YouGov

2009Ibid.5.2 Children Looked After in England

(including adoption and care leavers)Yearending 31st March 2008. DCSF 2008.

5.3 Forgotten Families, Adfam, GrandparentsPlus, 2006.

5.4 Hunt, J. Family and Friends Care,Research and Practice Briefings, Childrenand Families, 2008.

5.5 Hidden Harm, ACMD, 2001.5.6 Bottling it Up, Turning Point, 2006.5.7 Hidden Harm, ACMD, 2001.5.8 Farmer, E and Moyers S. What factors

relate to good placement outcomes inkinship care, British Journal of SocialWork, Feb 2009.

5.9 Action for Prisoners Families et al, Agendafor action.

5.10 Prison Advice and Care TrustParliamentary Briefing 2007.

5.11 Prison Advice and Care TrustParliamentary Briefing 2007.

5.12 Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile, PrisonReform Trust, 2006.

5.13 Winston’s Wish.http://www.winstonswish.org.uk/page.asp?section=00010001000400050001

5.14 ibid.5.15 Farmer, E & Moyers, S Fostering Effective

Family and Friends Placements 2008.5.16 Op cit, DCSF 2008.5.17 Care Matters, Time for Change, DCSF,

2007.5.18 Ibid.5.19 Hunt, J. Keeping it in the family: outcomes

for abused and neglectedchildren placedwith family or friends carers throughproceedings. DfES 2007.

5.20 Op cit Hunt 2008.5.21 Op cit Farmer & Moyers, 2008. 5.22 Op cit Hunt, 2007.5.23 Op cit Hunt, 2007.5.24 Op cit Farmer and Moyers, 2008.5.25 Op cit Grandparents Plus/YouGov 2009.

Chapter 66.1 The Future of Retirement: the new old

age. HSBC 2007. 6.2 Dench, G. Exploring Parents’ Views, British

Social Attitudes 25th Report 2009.6.3 Grandparents Association estimate

http://www.grandparents-association.org.uk/help_manifesto.htm

6.4 Peacey V. Hunt, J. I’m not saying it waseasy: contact problems in separatedfamilies. Gingerbread, 2009.

6.5 Alison Blackwell & Fiona Dawe Non-resident parental contact. Based on datafrom the National Statistics OmnibusSurvey for The Department forConstitutional Affairs October 2003.

6.6 Families in Britain Evidence Paper, DCSF2008.

6.7 British Social Attitudes 24th Report, 2008.6.8 Op cit DCSF 2008.6.9 Teenagers’ Attitudes to Parents, National

Family and Parenting Institute, MORI2000.

6.10 Smart, C. , May, V., Wade, A. and Furniss,C. (2003) Residence and contact disputesincourt, volume 1, London, LordChancellor’s Department, Research series,no 6/2003.

6.11 SPICe briefing (2005) Family Law(Scotland) Bill: Parental Responsibilitiesand Rights, S.Harvie-Clark, ScottishParliament Information Centre (SPICe)briefing no 5/13.www.scottish.parliament.uk

6.12 C (A child) (Adoption: Local authorityduty), heard before Lord Justice Thorpe,Lady Justice Arden and Lord JusticeLawrence Collins, the Court ruled thatthere was no duty on a local authority tomake inquiries of a child’s extendedfamily or father about the possibility of their providing long-term care where the mother wished to place thechild for adoption (Judgment November23, 2007).

6.13 Attias-Donfut, C & Segalen, M. Grands-parents ; la famille à traverse lagénération.1998.

6.14 The Difference a Dad Makes, FatherhoodInstitute, 2008.

6.15 ibid.6.16 Op cit, Fatherhood Institute, 2008.6.17 Op cit Dex MCS 2004.6.18 Op cit Dex MCS 2004.6.19 Dench, G and Ogg, J. Grandparenting

in Britain: a baseline study, 2002.6.20 Op cit Grandparents Plus YouGov 2009.6.21 Op cit Dench and Ogg 2002.6.22 Op cit Grandparents Plus YouGov 2009.

Chapter 77.1 Counsel and Care, Lifelong 2008.7.2 Care of Elderly People Market Survey,

Laing & Buisson, 2007.

Grandparents Plus18 Victoria Park SquareBethnal GreenLondon E2 9PFTelephone: 020 8981 8001Email: [email protected]

www.grandparentsplus.org.uk

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