Our Little Treasure - Grandparents Corner - teacher-designed activities, recipes and ideas for (0

Developed by Susan Clarke (Co-Founder of Our Little Treasure, Grandmother to 8, Mother to 3!)

Many grandparents and other family members around the world help by sharing the care of children in their families. Being a grandparent, it is a privilege and a pleasure to be entrusted with the care of a grandchild.

Generally (but not always), grandparents have more time to enjoy the wonder of their grandchildren. We are able to spend more time playing and making the most of this time together than we were with our own children. As a grandparent, you begin to understand just how special childhood is and it becomes a joy to contribute to the upbringing of little ones. Often relationships with our own children are strengthened as a result of helping with this care.

Being the carer of a grandchild is not always easy! We are not quite as young as we used to be, and at the end of the day our body generally aches. Many grandparents in Australia both care for grandchildren and work either full or part time! But most of us would not swap it! Just to share the smiles, to enjoy the hugs and cuddles our little ones (and not so little ones) shower on us.

Below we have collected a range of resources to assist you in your day caring for Grandchildren. We hope you find them helpful.

If you would like to read Susan's views on 'Being a Grandparent', click here!

Community Resources for Grandparents

Grandparents in Australia, now more than ever, often have the responsibility of caring for their grandchildren either full or part time across the week. We have put together a list of a few Community Services below to help get you through the day!

Australia Wide

Centrelink

Grandparents often find themselves in the parenting role for their grandchildren. They may face a number of challenges and find that their life has changed significantly when they need to provide care for their grandchildren. This new caring role may be taken on as, for example, a result of parental disability, death, imprisonment, substance abuse and child neglect, abuse or abandonment.

If you are a grandparent or carer who has taken on responsibility of caring for children and are unsure of what you may be entitled to, the question and answers below may assist you. This information will also be of interest to people who are raising or caring for a child in a foster care or extended family care arrangement. In all cases, eligibility for assistance will be assessed by the Family Assistance Office, Centrelink.

'About Seniors' Website

Seniors - this is your site! Senior citizens, retirees, those about to retire and looking for retirement planning, veterans, pensioners and carers will find this most comprehensive listing of information and links extremely valuable. Here are the links of interest for seniors to Australian and State government departments, national and State associations, community service groups, aged care and retirement housing information, as well as to seniors lifestyle interests such as computing, health, finance, hobbies, sport and travel.

Seniors.gov.au

Welcome to the Australian Government's premier source of information for Australians over 50. Seniors.gov.au provides you with a single point of access to Government and non-Government information and services for older Australians.

Grown Ups

Targeting the 50-years-plus category, Grownups gives you access to 1000’s of pages of useful information. Anything from health, travel and investment through to gardening, classifieds, games and more - GrownUps is a great site, especially if you have grandchildren.

Raising Children Network

The Raising Children Network provides parenting advice and information and is sponsored by the Australian Government. It is a great resource for parents, grandparents and carers.

NSW

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren NSW

Although you have been a parent before, becoming a parent again is more of a challenge than most grandparents expect. You want to provide a safe and stable family so your grandchildren can have the best start in life that is possible: a place where they can grow into healthy and productive people; a place of love and comfort.

You may feel as though you are on your own and therefore you just have to cope. You are not alone and help is available... you just have to know where to find it!

This website has been designed as a resource point for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren in NSW.

Council on the Aging (NSW)

Established in 1956, COTA (NSW) is a peak body providing leadership in social policy and community information and education for all older persons in New South Wales and Australia.

ACT

Grandparents Support Network ACT and Region

This Website has been created by 'Grand Parents ACT and Region' to provide information relevant to grandparents raising, or significantly involved in raising their grandchildren.

VIC

The Melbourne Community Toy Library Come In, Join Up, Borrow, Play!

If you are interested in learning more about the Melbourne Community Toy Library or have any queries, please feel free to phone our coordinator on 0425 365 096 or write or email us. mctoylibrary@hotmail.com

Postal Address: Melbourne Community Toy Library, PO Box 1181, Kensington VIC 3031.

Carlton Branch - Trades Hall, Corner Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton

Hours: Friday 10.00 am – 11.30 am and Saturday 9.30 am – 11.30 am

Kensington Branch - YMCA (Kensington Pool), Altona Street, Kensington

Hours: Tuesday 10.00 am – 11.30 am and Saturday 9.30 am – 11.30 am

Community Resources Online

Raising children can be a challenging and rewarding journey. This section of our website provides information about services and ideas that can help you in this journey.

Grandparent's Corner