News
One in three families uses grandparents for childcare
3 Mar 2010
A report titled Protect, Support, Provide produced by Grandparents Plus and the Equality and Human Rights Commission found that single-parent families and those on low incomes are among the most reliant on grandparents due to the "prohibitively expensive" cost of childcare.
The report estimates that half of all single-parent families now rely on grandparents for childcare, a trend that is having a devastating impact on grandparents’ finances.
Three out of four family or friend carers say they experience financial hardship when taking on the care of a child, with almost a third obliged to give up work or reduce their hours to care for these children.
The report calls for the government to give grandparents who provide childcare more financial, emotional and practical support.
Sam Smethers, Chief Executive of Grandparents Plus, said: " It's time the government recognised that grandparents provide the last line of defence between millions of children and the poverty line. They need recognition and better support."
The full report can be found at Grandparents Plus.
(Children & Young People Now)
