Australian Grandparents Care Report

The yawning gap in the demand for publicly funded care at home in Australia is being filled by informal, unpaid care. Amongst informal and unpaid carers, a special group of people provide childcare and support to facilitate a better future for the next generation, namely grandparents.

Grandparenting, whether done out of love, duty, or necessity, is a critical part of care provision and family structure and cultures.

This study is a companion report to our report on unpaid care for older adults (Who Cares?: Older Australians do, 2020). It explores the unique and irreplaceable contribution of grandparents and seeks to better understand how grandparenting, from grandparents’ points of view, should fit into the childcare provision in Australia.