A generation ago, it became more accepted for mothers to return to work once their youngest child started school. Generations X and Y, however, are returning to work not long after the first and subsequent children are born.
The growing trend today, particularly with the demand for child care, is towards grandparents looking after their grandchildren while the parents are forced to work to support their families.
Grandparents Raising Children NSW (GRC NSW) is a government initiative to support this growing sub-culture, coining them “Kinship Carers”. They assist in areas such as health and wellbeing, understanding current education systems, as well as counselling services.
Fifty-five-year-old Armidale local Jane Curtis is one such kinship carer, minding her two young grandchildren.
In addition, she started a Family Day Care in her home and now cares for five children most days. What she loves most about such a role is “contributing to an environment where they [her grandchildren] can grow freely and prepare them for the world”.
Jane agrees there are challenges, specifically in guiding her own children’s parenting decisions, particularly in the face of overwhelming economic and social pressures to succeed and out-perform their peers.
However, these are far outweighed by the quality time spent nurturing the growth of her grandchildren.
The Armidale Baby Expo on September 17 will have a diverse range of services available to kinship carers in the New England district. To learn more about the Armidale Baby Expo, find them on Facebook or email armidalebabyexpo@gmail.com .
