FairGo Policy
Grandcarers Support Policy
Introduction
Across South Australia, thousands of grandparents step forward to raise their grandchildren when families break down due to mental illness, addiction, incarceration, or death. These arrangements are not rare or incidental — it is estimated that more than 7,000 children are being raised in full-time kinship care arrangements, with approximately 4,000 of those in informal, non-statutory care. In the majority of cases, grandparents bear this responsibility without adequate recognition or support.
These carers, overwhelmingly women in their 60s and 70s, often live on fixed pensions or modest retirement incomes. They are suddenly thrust back into the role of primary caregivers, responsible for feeding, clothing, and educating children. Many face the dual pressures of grief and trauma within their families, compounded by financial hardship. Stories from the community make the situation stark: one grandmother was forced to return to paid work after retirement to cover the cost of school uniforms; another has had to draw down her superannuation early just to meet weekly grocery bills.
Despite the enormity of their contribution, these grandparents remain legally invisible. They are excluded from the Carer Recognition Act, denied a formal voice in service planning and policy development, and frequently turned away from government-funded supports that are readily available to other categories of carers. This lack of recognition does not simply overlook their contribution — it actively entrenches disadvantage, leaving vulnerable children without the stability and resources they need to thrive.
The Problem
Across South Australia, thousands of grandparents step forward to raise their grandchildren when families break down due to mental illness, addiction, incarceration, or death. These arrangements are not rare or incidental — it is estimated that more than 7,000 children are being raised in full-time kinship care arrangements, with approximately 4,000 of those in informal, non-statutory care. In the majority of cases, grandparents bear this responsibility without adequate recognition or support.
These carers, overwhelmingly women in their 60s and 70s, often live on fixed pensions or modest retirement incomes. They are suddenly thrust back into the role of primary caregivers, responsible for feeding, clothing, and educating children. Many face the dual pressures of grief and trauma within their families, compounded by financial hardship. Stories from the community make the situation stark: one grandmother was forced to return to paid work after retirement to cover the cost of school uniforms; another has had to draw down her superannuation early just to meet weekly grocery bills.
Despite the enormity of their contribution, these grandparents remain legally invisible. They are excluded from the Carer Recognition Act, denied a formal voice in service planning and policy development, and frequently turned away from government-funded supports that are readily available to other categories of carers. This lack of recognition does not simply overlook their contribution — it actively entrenches disadvantage, leaving vulnerable children without the stability and resources they need to thrive.
The Solution
FairGo will address this inequity through a series of targeted reforms designed to both recognise and support grandcarers.
- Legislative Recognition
We will amend the Carer Recognition Act to expressly include informal grandparent and kinship carers within the statutory definition of “carer.” This reform will align South Australia with other jurisdictions such as the ACT, Tasmania, and Queensland, which already recognise informal kinship carers in their legislation. - Financial Support
We will establish a $1,000 annual payment for eligible grandparent carers, consistent with the scheme already operating in Western Australia. Eligibility will require that the carer has been the primary caregiver for at least four months, that the carer is a grandparent of the child, and that the care arrangement has arisen due to family breakdown. - Guardianship Process Inquiry
We will commission an inquiry into the grandparent guardianship process, with a view to streamlining the pathway to legal recognition of guardianship. The inquiry will be tasked with identifying reforms to reduce delay, cost, and complexity, thereby ensuring that the best interests of children are served without placing undue burdens on carers. - Expansion of the Grandcarers Support Fund
We will replace the inadequate discretionary pool funding arrangements with an ongoing commitment to support carers in the sector for one-off unique expenditure that would support the welfare of the child. This fund will provide practical assistance for essential expenses such as school fees, uniforms, health care, and other household costs.
Why This Works
Recognition in legislation is the necessary foundation for change. Once grandcarers are legally acknowledged, government agencies will be obliged to consult with them, consider their needs in policy design, and extend access to supports and services. This reform corrects the current situation in which carers who are doing the same work as foster carers are left invisible simply because their arrangement is informal.
The annual payment provides immediate and tangible relief to households, many of whom are living below the poverty line, reducing the need for grandparents to rely on charity, early access to superannuation, or unsustainable debt. The guardianship inquiry will consider how best to cut through procedural and legal obstacles that too often delay or prevent grandparents from obtaining formal guardianship, giving them the authority they need to act in the best interests of the children in their care. The support fund transforms a tokenistic pool into a program with real capacity to help families cover ordinary but vital costs.
Expected Outcomes
The outcomes FairGo seeks to achieve are clear. For children, this policy will deliver greater stability, improved access to education and health services, and a safer home environment. For carers, it will provide financial security, reduce stress, and confer long-overdue recognition. For the community, it will reduce reliance on foster care and statutory systems, strengthen family networks, and ensure that taxpayer funds are deployed more effectively by supporting family-based solutions rather than costly state interventions.
South Australia has fallen behind other jurisdictions in recognising the indispensable role of grandcarers. FairGo is committed to correcting this. By embedding recognition in law, providing direct financial assistance, reforming guardianship processes, and expanding support funding, we will ensure that grandparents who step up to raise their grandchildren are no longer invisible but are instead respected, supported, and celebrated for the vital contribution they make.