It can be very daunting for people who unexpectedly find themselves responsible for a child’s ongoing care. But support is available via the Department of Human Services’ Grandparent Adviser network.
Jennifer, who is a Grandparent Adviser, not only works with grandparents, but with non-parent carers as well to help them understand the payments and services they might be eligible for, such as child care payments and Medicare services.
“Being a Grandparent Adviser gives me the opportunity to link people directly to financial support as well as other services,” Jennifer said.
“We help make a positive difference in the lives of the young people they care for.”
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Jennifer knows that not everybody finds it easy to make that first call for help.
“Many people find it hard or embarrassing,” she said.
“When they do call us, it is often during a traumatic time in their lives – there are many reasons why someone becomes a long-term carer for a child who isn’t their own.
“By the time they reach out, they’re often in financial hardship.
“We urge people to call us before visiting an office, because we can walk them through the process and let them know what to expect ahead of time.
“We help with tasks such as booking appointments with the department, and can step people through how to use our online services.
“In addition to helping people access services through the department, we can also link people to services in their local areas, such as support groups.”
Grandparent Advisers are located all around Australia. If you need extra support, you can call them on Freecall™ 1800 245 965, and you’ll be transferred to your nearest available Grandparent Adviser. If you need to leave a message, a Grandparent Adviser will get back to you within 48 hours.
More information
- Learn more about how our Grandparent Advisers can help you.
- Connect with us on social media.
- Further support for non-parent carers.
- MyTime provides support for mothers, fathers, grandparents and anyone caring for a child with disability or chronic medical condition.
- For more information for grandparents and kinship carers, visit Raising Children.
