What We Do
Advocacy
A Statutory Declaration for Informal Kinship Carers
Informal kinship carers frequently report difficulty in establishing their authority to exercise day‑to‑day parental activities such as applying for children’s birth certificates and Medicare cards, and signing consent for medical procedures and extracurricular activities.
Victoria, NSW and South Australia have Statutory Declaration templates for informal kinship carers in place; they vary as to what they include. Access these below.
All kinship carers have the right to recognition of their caring role, and should be able to discharge their parental duties, including school enrolments and obtaining medical care for children, without bureaucratic barriers. We are working with the Parliamentary Friends of Grandparent and Kinship Carers to achieve a Commonwealth Government Statutory Declaration template specifically for informal kinship carers. We understand that such a document does not require new legislation.
The Commonwealth Carers Recognition Act 2010
The Commonwealth Carer Recognition Act 2010 excludes kinship carers from the definition of a Carer. A few State Carer Recognition Acts recognise some kinship carers (e.g. Queensland recognises grandparent carers but not other kinship carers). Other States and Territories don’t recognise any kinship carers. Use the button below to see if grandparent/kinship carers are recognised in your State or Territory.
Kinship Alliance Australia is advocating for all kinship carers to be included in the Commonwealth Carers Recognition Act. That means grandparents, other relatives, family friends and connected people, informal and formal grandparent/kinship carers, FIrst Nations and non-Indigenous. Watch this space.
Our Work with Parliament
Legislative changes needed
- Amend the Carer Recognition Act 2010 to recognise all kinship carers.
- Pass legislation to rename the Foster Child Health Care Card.
- Establish a Commonwealth Informal Relative Caregiver Statutory Declaration.
- Review the Double Orphan Pension and institute an Unsupported Child's Benefit.
- Implement other relevant recommendations of the 2014 & 2015 Senate Inquiries.
Federal Parliamentary Friends of Grandparent & Kinship Carers
Aims of the Parliamentary Friends
- To provide a non-partisan forum for parliamentarians to meet and interact with informal and formal grandparent and other kinship carers both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, and with experts and other key stakeholders.
- To seek to raise awareness amongst Parliamentarians and the wider population of the existence of grandparent/kinship care families.
- To promote the need for better recognition and support for all Australian grandparent/kinship care families.
- To inform Parliamentarians of the latest developments in improving services for grandparent/kinship care families.
Our Agenda with the Parliamentary Friends
We are working on:
- Establishing a Commonwealth of Australia customised Statutory Declaration for Informal Kinship Carers
- Introducing an amendment to the 2010 Federal Carers Recognition Act to include recognition of all Australia's grandparent and other kinship carers (informal & formal).
- Review of the Double Orphan Allowance to change its name, widen its remit and lift the rate of payment.
- Implementing key recommendations of the 2014 Senate Inquiry into Grandparent Care.
