‘It's not fair’: Custodial grandparents' access to services and supports in Australia

• DOI: 10.1111/cfs.12839
• Publication Date: 2021-04-04T22:57:55Z
• Authors: Christina Fernandes; Barbara Blundell; Rebecca J. Moran; Jessica M. Gilbert; Mark Liddiard
• Keywords: Injustice; Child Protection

Abstract Grandparents become custodial carers of their grandchildren for a variety reasons, including love, fear losing the children to system, efforts protect while managing relationships with adult child (parent), policy impetus, and even convenience protection systems. As obvious candidates care provision, grandparents report feeling pressured take on care, yet many grandcarers are poorly supported feel taken granted. Drawing mixed method study grandparent service providers located in Western Australia, we argue that there important issues inequity injustice associated being grandcarer, particular due systemic discursive failures recognize complexity challenges provision. Misrecognition epistemic result further marginalization disempowerment, compounding barriers accessing services supports, which turn impact upon family wellbeing. The aim this article is analyse complex circumstances described by interview survey data, highlighting therefore areas improving support grandfamilies.