Help and Support
The mission of Kinship Alliance Australia is to achieve proper recognition and support for kinship care families, particularly informal kinship care families.
No one service in any State or Territory provides this yet. The following State-based services offer assistance to particular groups of grandparent/kinship care families. Their websites provide much useful information.
Grandparent/Kinship Carer Support Groups
There are Grandparent/Kinship Carer Support Groups in every State and mainland Territory of Australia. Click here to see a list with details about how to get in touch with them.
If you know of another Support Group, please contact us!
Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers
The Services Australia Grandparent, Foster and Kinship Carer Advisers provide tailored help for all non-parent carers including grandparent carers and other kinship carers whether formal or informal. Benefits include assistance with child care costs, health care, Medicare, Double Orphan Allowance and other allowances. https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/grandparent-foster-and-kinship-carer-advisers
State-specific resources
Grandparent and other kinship carers are eligible for a range of benefits in different States and Territories. Eligibility varies even within each State/Territory, e.g. some benefits are only for formal kinship carers, some are for informal kinship carers, and some are only for grandparent carers. Kinship Alliance Australia is pushing for ALL benefits to be available to ALL grandparent and other kinship carers.
Victorian Carer Card
This card is available for all Victorian grandparent and other kinship carers, both informal and formal. A particular benefit is concession fares and free weekend travel on public transport. Informal kinship carers will need to complete this Statutory Declaration as well as the Carer Card form.
