ph: (09)480-6530
9:00am - 3:00pm
fax: (09)480-6572
email: office@grg.org.nz

Trust Head Office:
PO Box 34-892
Birkenhead,
Auckland

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ™ Charitable Trust 2005

 

Te Tautoko i nga Mätua Tupuna, me nga Mokopuna.
Te Ao mai rano, aianei, a muri ake nei.

Supporting,Grandparents and grandchildren.
Our past, present and future.

Welcome to our Website:
We are a non-profit Charitable Trust, based in New Zealand, established to
support Grandparents who are raising Grandchildren.

 Mission:
Provide support to Grandparents and Kincarers to protect and preserve the wellbeing of families/whanau caring for kin children who need care and protection by providing early intervention and crisis prevention support.


Aims:

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 Provide support to grandparents/kin who are primary caregivers
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 Provide opportunity for grandchildren/kin to interact with others in the same situation
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 Raise awareness as to the role of the grandparents/kin in the primary caregiving role
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 Undertake research to establish the depth of grandparents/kin in the primary caregiver role in New Zealand and respond accordingly
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 Facilitate change in the legal and regulatory environment for children and caregivers



Diane Vivian in her GRG office

Our History:
When in 1997, Diane Vivian took over the care of her small, traumatised grandchildren, she could not believe the stress she encountered.

Setting about to discover what help or support was available in 1999, she found there was none! She decided there must be many others in her position and put an ad in the paper. The phone did not stop ringing. A need had been identified. In consultation with Jill Nerheny, the Birkenhead /Northcote Community Co-ordinator, a support group was set up under the controller of the Community Facilities Trust. A public meeting was held and they knew they had a tiger by the tail. As the group grew they spent many months venting, weeping, sharing and building trust. The group set the objectives and a vision statement which now form the founding document and guiding principles of all the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Groups.

Today there are over 49 support groups throughout the country, reaching from Dargaville in the north to Invercargill in the South. Membership grows daily. Groups actively lobby parliament, network with other communities and speak to many community organizations.

They strive to make a difference for all grandchildren and grandparents who care about them.

The organisation salutes all Grandparents who have taken in Grandchildren and put the needs of those precious ones before their own. You are indeed doing angels' work here on earth. Together we have made a difference in a child's life.

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Can we help you?

Members Services

 

GRG Field Officers:                             Alison Cuthbert:

Alison was a Social worker for over 40yrs, 26 of those as a senior social worker for the Royal N.Z Navy. She is able and confidant to attend CYF Family Group Conferences (where practicable) to act as a support person for GRG's.  I am an Independent Adoption Counsellor.  A Family Court Counsellor working with those who have relationship issues and is familiar with the Family Court procedures related to general counselling and court procedures when applications are being made for who will assume the Primary Care Role for children. Ph 09 445 9671 Toll call, use 0800 345 671

                                                               Nola Adams:

Telephone advice can be given on the following topics Justice and Prison system, including Youth Court, Family Court applications: for persons wishing to self-represent: Child Youth and Family representation where practicable/advice. Disability advice and the Schooling system. Nola can be contacted on ph 06 845 3141 Toll call, use 0508 367474

 

A "GRAND" MOTHER

   God's special gift to children
Who need a mother's love
 
Part Grandma and part angel
A treasure from above
 
Her heart is filled with anguish
Because of the children's loss
 
So now she shields their heartstrings
Protects them at all cost
 
God blesses all Grand-Mothers
Because He knows they care
 
And so they raise God's children
To live, to love, to share
 
So if you are "Grand"Mother
To grandchild, nephew or niece
 
The Lord will help and guide you
And give you an everlasting peace!
 Louise Eagle © 2009

 
Permission granted October 2009

 

 June 2010 Newsletter 

   

 

Free Caregiver training courses July - September

Dates and areas

Your Voices:

The Humour, sadness and inspirational.

A Group of Grandparents discuss trauma.

Read what those who have been raised by their grandparents have to say.

Information on the Official Information Act.

Men's Sheds, what are they all about?

Some guidelines for raising your grandchildren

 Read more in the newsletter for this month.

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Meet Kirstin, our youngest Board member.

Kirstin Morris has 17 years of experience in working with children in a variety of different settings including respite care, foster care, full time daycare, kindergarten, family daycare, in home care etc. Kirstin has raised her son with the help of loving grandparents and realizes the importance of whanau. Kirstin is currently formalizing her experience by completely a degree in teaching.

Kirstin Morris

 

Meet Board member Debbie Gillies

Debbie and her husband were left to raise our grandson ten years ago. Some time later Debbie spied an article in the local paper about another family who was raising their grandchildren. And they had thought they were the only grandparents in Auckland raising their grandchild! They couldn't wait to go to the meeting which was organised after the huge response to the article.

That was the beginning of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, and in Debbie's words, "I am proud to say I am a Trustee to such a worthy organisation".