We have just finished Seniors Month and as part of this month-long celebration we also celebrate and acknowledge the role of Grandparents with Grandparents Day on 26 October. This becomes a time for not only celebration but also reflection about Grandparents as carers, particularly kindship care.
Kinship care involves placing children with family members who are not the children’s parents – it’s a proven, culturally grounded response that keeps children connected to the people and places that matter. It is now the predominant placement type in out-of-home care (OOHC).
In Queensland, about half (48.2%) of children in OOHC live with kin or extended family members, compared to 36.6% with foster carers, reminding us that extended family plays an increasingly important role in younger generations’ wellbeing. This is particularly vital for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, where about 54% in care are placed with kin, upholding the Child Placement Principle.
Whether it’s an auntie, uncle, or grandparent, care by kin provides greater continuity with e.g., familiar schools, communities, and faces, which significantly aids identity, stability, and belonging.
Grandparent carers are a specific subset of kinship care. However, when discussing support, we must acknowledge a critical distinction which is the gap in support between formally approved foster carers and many grandparent carers.
Grandparent carers often step in at short notice, absorbing the costs of schooling, health needs, and therapies, frequently on lower or fixed incomes. They are marginalised and overlooked in systems.
The biggest tension arises at the policy level e.g., while both foster carers and formal kinship carers perform similar 24/7 primary caregiving duties, studies show that grandparent carers receive less financial recognition than foster carers.
Why is this disparity so stark? Evidence tells us that this comes down to formal versus informal status, systemic injustices, and legal considerations.
Approved foster carers receive allowances intended to cover the costs of care. Crucially, many grandparent-led families are outside the statutory system – they are informal carers – and thus miss out on allowances intended for approved kinship carers.
In addition, grandparent carers have described unjust systems, noting that resources and recognition are provided to foster carers with no familial relation, while they struggle for basic monetary support. This lack of financial security is a key systemic barrier.
Unlike approved foster carers who operate within a formal framework, informal grandparents often face a legal ambiguity that creates bureaucratic barriers. This makes it difficult to access basic healthcare and other supports.
So, are there solutions? The pathways and payments should not look drastically different based simply on legal status.
Help is available to grandparent carers. Services Australia has Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers who offer tailored guidance on payments and services, including the Family Tax Benefit and the Additional Child Care Subsidy.
In Queensland, the Time for Grandparents program specifically supports informal carers who are not receiving fostering allowances, offering advice and respite.
Ultimately, the evidence recommends reforming federal and state legislation to provide equitable support that reflects the significant responsibility grandparent carers take on.
In the systemic advocacy space, we acknowledge the incredible strength and stability provided by grandparent carers, but their care for loved ones must be matched by the necessary supports they need to thrive.
Council on the Ageing Queensland often collaborates with universities and researchers on diverse challenges and opportunities for ageing well in Queensland. Through a Work Integrated Learning task, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students undertook research on Grandparent Carers. Council on the Ageing Queensland acknowledges their research and we thank the QUT student team for their insights and time in generating the report:
Fullinfaw, P., Mulley, C., Hynes, R., & Sitsky, S. (2025). Recognition and support for grandparent carers. [Consultancy report prepared by Queensland University of Technology (QUT) students for Council on the Ageing Queensland].
You can read their report on recognition and support for grandparent carers here:
Blog written by:
Slawka Bell, Grandparent and Grandparent Carer Advocate
Stephanie Power, Senior Policy and Research Officer, COTA QLD