Stephan Lund, the executive manager of the foster care and child services provider, said the money would help boost support for grandparents who have full-time care of their grandchildren.
‘This is a significant boost for grandcarer families that really struggle financially, relying on pensions or small incomes,’ he said.
‘The experiences they can have through our grandcarer program lift their quality of life and are something they really care about.
Mr Lund said grandparents often struggled to give their grandchildren the same opportunities as other children, and the extra funding was critical.
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READ NOW‘The children in many of these families have had a difficult start in life, including bereavement or parental issues related to drugs and alcohol.
‘They may have had disrupted schooling and not had good educational opportunities. Grandparents often don’t feel confident to help their grandchildren with their homework because they don’t know the background to current learning practices.’
Mr Lund said Wanslea, which runs a service in Clarkson, provided opportunities, such as retreats and camps, for grandparents and their grandchildren to take short breaks, as well as educational support, such as tutoring, and counselling for children.