Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
If You’re Struggling to Get Back into the Parenting Routine, You Aren’t Alone
It can be difficult for grandparents to adjust to their new family new family dynamic.
If you are wanting support or to connect with others in similar situations, Central Coast Family Support Services can help.
Breakdowns of relationships between parents and children are an unfortunate common occurrence.
When this happens, grandparents can be unexpectedly thrust into the position of primary caregiver. This can be overwhelming and create a new family dynamic in the home.
Struggling grandparents are encouraged to contact CCFSS for parenting support and behaviour management strategies. By enlisting support and developing effective parenting strategies early on, the transition process becomes easier for families who often find stability in challenging situations.
Who can access the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program?
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program
To access our program, you must be:
- A Central Coast resident
- A grandparent
- The primary caregiver for your grandchild
- Your grandchild is under 16
What do we do?
Our grandparent program is free, and is designed to get your family back on track and give you confidence as a parent.
To assist you, we will offer parenting support to help you realise your vision of a stable family situation.
First, we’ll conduct an initial assessment that identifies the current strengths and opportunity areas in your family situation.
Second, we’ll work with you to create a support plan. This will include tangible goals that you and your family can follow to resolve issues and conflicts.
Third, we’ll support you as you work though your goals by offering a range of assistance options, such as:
- Parenting strategies tailored to grandparents learning, or re-learning, parenting strategies
- Best practice parenting advice
- Relationship skill development advice
- Providing up-to-date information about relevant services
- Direct referrals to access these services
We also encourage participation in our coursework programs across the Central Coast. From peer support groups to weekend family activities, these can be a great way to build a support network in the community.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program – Child and Family Services
Peer Support Group
Meets on the last Wednesday of the month*
9:30am – 11:30am
Phillip House
21 Old Mount Penang Rd, Kariong
*not during school holidays
Support Group
Meets the first Wednesday of the month*
9:30am – 11:30 noon
Wyong Milk Factory
141 Alison Rd, Wyong
*not during school holidays
Service NSW free travel card (includes fuel, trains, coaches and taxis)
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/regionalseniorstravel
Centrelink Grandparent Advisors
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/grandparent-advisers/how-contact-us)
NDIS application assistance
https://ccpc.com.au/
Free Active Kids Vouchers
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-active-kids-voucher
Free Creative Kids Voucher
https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-creative-kids-voucher
Latest Newsletters
Events We have a number of courses that are designed to help grandparents.
Join Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Newsletter
Further information
Our Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program aims to strengthen family relationships and increase the safety and wellbeing of grandparents, children and young people.
To be eligible for our service you need to be a Central Coast resident and a Grandparent with the fulltime care and responsibility of your grandchild/ren aged up to 16 years. This is a free service.
Families are offered an initial assessment appointment, where family support workers assist family members to identify their strengths and needs in relation to presenting family issues.
We assist families to develop goals that indicate how they would like things to be in their family. Once goals are determined we negotiate a support case plan with the family, outlining how we can assist families to achieve their goals. We can also assist you with brief visits to provide advice, information and referral or support.
In our case work support, we create plans that guides our work together and provides a focus for our work with families. Examples include: counselling, enhancing parenting practices and relationship skills, providing information about services and assisting you to access these services by advocating and direct referrals.
We also provide personalised and structured parenting programs in your home or our office, which focus specifically on supporting grandparents to further develop their parenting knowledge and understanding of managing children’s behaviour to equip grandparents with the skills and confidence they need to be self-sufficient and to be able to manage family issues as they arise.
We assist families with advice and referral. A family worker is available by telephone to discuss services and programs available in the community. Grandparents are encouraged to call the office to speak with our experienced staff.
Our family case workers can meet with grandparent families and family members at our office in Kariong, in your home or at other agreed locations within the community.
We also provide a range of group work programs specifically for grandparents across the Central Coast region. This includes: Peer support groups, workshops, parenting education programs, weekend family events and a bi-annual weekend camp for grandparent families.
See our course work program here for further information about our general group work and targeted grandparents raising grandchildren events, workshops and information sessions.
If you would like to stay in touch with what’s happening in our grandparents raising grandchildren program join our mailing list (under newsletter tab)
