Nearly 50 grandparents who care for their grandchildren gathered in East Maitland yesterday to learn about changes to their rights as guardians.
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The state government’s Safe Home For Life reform came into effect in October and left many grandparents confused about their legal rights.
Family and Community Services state director Annette Smith and Mary Mackler, who was on the writing team for the new legislation, were there to meet the group’s questions head on.
“It is really important to have this face-to-face time to ask questions,” East Maitland Pine Tree Grandparents as Carers support group co-ordinator Bev Steggles said.
“Foster carers get better looked after than kinship carers or grandparents, and we want to know why.”
Many of the grandparents who attended are on a pension and care for more than one child, with mental health and drug use among the reasons for the guardianship.
Samaritan Marilyn Seccombe is a volunteer of the East Maitland GAPS group.
She said the information session was important to demystify the complex new legislation.
“The legislation is 100-something pages long,” she said. “Most of the carers don’t know anything about it, so today is about asking questions and getting answers.”
The East Maitland GAPS group is open to any grandparent carers or kinship carers who need more information and support.
“We welcome them to come along, Ms Secombe said.
Phone 0419 107 736 for more information.