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ph: (09)480-6530
9:00am - 3:00pm
fax: (09)480-6572
email: office@grg.org.nz
Trust Head Office:
PO Box 34-892
Birkenhead,
Auckland
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren ™ Charitable Trust 2005
SUBJECT: National Office. NZ. Report July 2005 Incredible people: greetings and Kia Ora. Stories from you! ~ An amusing story about Ryan, (who is nearly 4) my
cortically blind and brain damaged grandson. Latest news is that
he is walking and on the verge of talking, at least we get a lot
of baby babble, dragging of furniture, climbing and reaching things
he shouldn't!! I watched the first ten minutes of the news then went to find Ryan! He didn't have a toy to play with in the kitchen and I heard splashing. He had managed to get a 2 Litre bottle of Soya oil out of the pantry, break the seal and unscrew the lid and pour it onto the floor and play in it.....splashing and sliding!!!!!! This is my blind and brain damaged boy, who doesn't like finger paint, doing what comes naturally to toddlers - getting into mischief!!! I must admit, I did laugh while I cleaned up and it was quite a mission involving several newspapers and half a bottle of Handy Andy!!!!!! The kids came home in the middle of the clean up and took him into the bathroom for a bath where he could splash!!! At least the kitchen floor is squeaky clean now!!! ~ We were told when Sarah was 16 months old that she would possibly never walk, talk, and had cerebal palsy, and global delay - she would possibly be a’ vegetable', the words of the Paediatrician and other so called specialists. Well, she is now 5 years, and has just finished her first year of ballet - having sat a ballet exam and passing with a mark of 79%...NOT BAD AYE!! And it is all down to love, patience and good old fashioned trying again and again - from THE Grandparents!! We are now being told she is an asset to society and is now ahead of her peers and is above 'normal' (what-ever that is!!) So how's that for encouragement for others... ~ Kia ora. Well! My grandson Jalen was diagnosed with rheumatic fever 2 years ago and every month he receives his penicillin injection at the same time he receives a treat from McDonalds but now he has swapped McDonalds for….wait for it………..Sushi which is healthier and better for him. Who would ever guess a child would ditch McDonalds! High Times: TV3 8.30pm. This is documentary on the effects of drugs over the decades. Sorry about late notice, but we have just been notified. It is in 3 parts and GRG are featured in the final segment on 4 August. NATIONAL NEWS STORY - New law gives grandparents greater rights 01 July 2005 Grandparents battling for custody of abused and neglected children have a better chance of getting legal recognition with new legislation, which takes effect today. Ruth Hill reports. It takes a village to raise a child, so the old saying goes. However, legislators have been slow to recognise the fact that birth parents are not the only ones to have an interest in a child's welfare. The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Charitable Trust welcomed the emphasis on children's welfare in the new Care of Children Act, but warned there was still a long way to go to achieve justice for grandparents, especially in the area of financial support. Trustee Kate Woodd, a former family lawyer, said she was "cautiously optimistic" that the bill would make it easier for grandparents, who she said had enough problems looking after traumatised children, often on very little money, without having to fight endless court battles too. The new law widens the category of people who can seek "parenting orders" for children. Parenting orders will allow grandparents to see their grandchildren when parents split, and grandparents who raise children themselves will now have the law behind them. Ms Woodd agreed that in some ways, the new rules - the first changes to guardianship legislation in 36 years - were merely "window dressing" for what was already happening. However, it was still important recognition that grandparents and others were often vital to a child's life, and represented "a more enlightened approach". "We are dealing with grandparents who are by and large the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff," she said. "They are raising children because mum or dad can't or won't or have been found by the court not to be suitable as primary caregiver. "We are really pleased that the new legislation is refocusing away from simply the rights of the parents, to looking at the rights and needs of children and the obligation on everyone involved to look after their best interests." The bill has been attacked by opposition parties for not going far enough to redress what they say are "serious flaws" in Family Court law. Ms Woodd agreed the bill was not perfect. The biggest disappointment has been the lack of progress on getting better financial support for grandparents raising grandchildren. A survey commissioned by the trust of 323 kin caregivers, released in March, showed 37 per cent were caring for children on an income of under $20,000 a year. On top of counselling, medical, clothing, schooling, and accommodation costs, many grandparents were also stuck with legal bills involved getting custody and guardianship of their grandchildren – often at the request of Child Youth and Family (CYF). Ms Woodd said social workers often asked grandparents to look after children and then encouraged them to apply for custody. As long as children are technically under the custody of CYF, caregivers are entitled to the foster care allowance. But as soon as the grandparents take over custody, the child is no longer "in need of care and protection" as far as CYF is concerned, and caregivers are only entitled to the Unsupported Child Benefit (UCB), which is significantly less. CYF pays between $110.56 and $158.66 (depending on age) under the foster care allowance, plus a quarterly clothing allowance and other grants for special education and health needs. The UCB from Work and Income ranges from just $94.77 for under-fives to $138.97 for children aged 14 and over. Nearly half of the survey's respondents reported they were receiving no allowance at all. One grandmother, who had cared for five grandchildren over 12 years after her two daughters died, had only received the allowance since 2003 because she had not been told she was eligible for financial assistance. Many grandparents receiving the UCB did not realise they were entitled to ask the Government for more money under support and service orders, Ms Woodd said. "Often grandparents and even lawyers don't realise they can push it, and there's no way you're going to get CYF going `Oh, by the way, you can get this and this'." She said the trust had raised the issue with the office of Social Development Minister Steve Maharey several times but without result. "If these grandparents had not stepped in, the only option would be to put these kids in foster care. "The discrepancy is discriminating against these children." The trust had also been pushing for tougher rules to stop endless re-litigations of custody cases. The trust estimates that almost a third of their members are facing constant challenges to their custody status from parents. Because older people often have their own home and savings, they do not qualify for legal aid. Some grandparents were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on cases in which the children's beneficiary parents were bankrolled by legal aid, she said. Ms Woodd said the real focus of the legislation should be on "alternative dispute resolution", rather than drawn-out and confrontational court proceedings, which inflamed already stressful situations. As the law stands, someone applying for a "parenting order" has to apply for an affidavit, a summary of that person's version of events, which is then considered by the court. "By its nature, an affidavit is a very one-sided view of the facts and tend to be quite polarising, so you get argument and conflict over and above the initial conflict. "It would be better if there was an automatic referral to mediation and counselling. "Even a few months is a long time in a child's life, and there are children out there missing out on their mum and dad or grandparents." One revolutionary aspect of the bill was that the Family Court now had to take the child's view into account. National MP Nick Smith has been heavily critical of this move, saying young children were not mature enough to make such major decisions, and susceptible to "bribes" by parents. However, Ms Woodd said the change brought New Zealand into line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children and international best practice. "In every case I was ever involved with, it was clear that the children wanted to have their say. "Now, if they are able to express their views, they must be taken into account. "That doesn't necessarily mean they will get what they want – but we are thrilled that the children will be heard." Furthermore, it ensured that lawyers for children must actually meet the child concerned. Previously some held it was "inappropriate". Ms Woodd said roles were still evolving in the fast-changing area of family law. "There is still a lot of role definition needed. You talk to social workers and psychologists involved in court proceedings, and there is much concern about how best to extract information from children and who should be doing it and how often it should be done." Some "teething problems" in the application of this legislation were inevitable, she said. Firstly, the Family Court was already struggling to cope with a massive workload and would need more resources to implement the changes. "We could potentially now have the whole whanau in the same room, so our court rooms will have to get bigger or we'll be hiring conference rooms at hotels for court hearings!" Ms Woodd said. Some lawyers have already drawn attention to potential pitfalls in the legislation. Previously, it was presupposed that one parent would have day-to-day custody and the other "access". Now more than one person can have a parenting order and "care" of the child, with "contact" at different times. However, if one person fails to return the child under a shared-care arrangement, neither is able to apply for a warrant under the new legislation to enforce the care order. The whole case would have to go back to court to be re-argued. "The Family Court doesn't like putting children in the horrible situation where they're being taken off mum or dad, because it's really a scrap between the adults, but this does leave open the risk of abuse." ENDS Corrections to above article from Kate Woodd: She said: “file an affidavit” not apply, and “ in virtually every case” not in every case I was ever involved with, it was clear that the children wanted to have their say From Minister Maharey: 7 July 2005 Government support for grandparents raising grandchildren I have made extensive inquiries about these allegations. I can assure you that there is absolutely no intention on the part of this government to means-test these benefits, and that there has been no change in the guidelines or instructions issued to staff. Neither the Bay of Plenty nor Canterbury regions of Work and Income are aware of the issue having been raised with them. I suspect that what may have happened is that a grandparent approached Work and Income for extra assistance (which we very much encourage them to do), and that they have been invited to apply for a Special Benefit or a Special Needs Grant, both of which are income tested. If any Work and Income Office has given the wrong information, I would be grateful to receive details about this, so we can fix it. Financial support to grandparents raising grandchildren In addition: · Work and Income and the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services have updated the brochure for kin carers from 1 April 2005. · I have directed the Ministry of Social Development to develop a specialised case management pilot for NZ Superannuation clients who are raising grandchildren. A detailed implementation plan will be reported to me in September. I encourage all kin carers raising grandchildren to talk with their Work and Income case manager, to ensure you are receiving all the support you are currently entitled to. In some cases this could include supplementary assistance through such programmes as the Child Disability Allowance, Special Needs Grants, or Special Benefit. I want to reiterate this government's commitment and intention to improve the support provided to grandparents raising grandchildren. Hon Steve Maharey Minister for Social Development and Employment ~ I had dealings with the Local WINZ branch about the UCB and was told I couldn't have it as I had too much income (from ACC) This was in August last year. I left it and started enquiring again in Feb this year and was told still NO! I wrote to Steve Maharey and hey presto got a call from WINZ saying they had reviewed my case and I am entitled....they kindly backdated the benefit to Feb and included a top up as Grandchild was under CYFs before me.....I ask you!!! Julie in Auckland. ~ Oh gooody! Lynn in Hamilton. ~ What about grandparents who are not on super but benefits? Not all grandparents are retired. Am I the only one angry by this letter? It doesn't really address anything does it? Carole from Taranaki. Thus far we are aware of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren policy from United Future, NZ First and the Labour Party (in no particular order). Spotting future criminals early the key, says Judge 29 June 2005 By Sophie Neville The next generation's violent criminals can be spotted by the age of about three, Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft says. But early intervention in the often troubled lives of these "human time bombs" is seriously lacking. The issue has been raised at a Youth Horizons conference in Wellington – involving more than 200 people – to discuss severe conduct disorder. The disorder affects up to 3000 mainly male teenagers and is seen in many of New Zealand's worst offenders. Also known as juvenile psychopathy, it manifests in a total lack of compassion, including violence toward people and animals, stealing, arson, alcohol and drug abuse. What to watch for ? Lighting fires ? Refusal to obey instructions ? Cruelty to animals ? Attacking other children, including punching, biting and kicking ? Lying ? Stealing ? No interest in learning or trouble with reading ? Truancy ? Alcohol and drug use ? Not coming home at night ? Depressed, anxious or angry Children with the disorder were very naughty at preschool – telling lies and being violent and difficult. By primary school they were committing property offences; by 10 they were smoking cannabis; by intermediate school they were violent; and by their early teens they had usually dropped out of school. "Most youth offending we don't need to be hysterical about, but these kids we do need to be," Judge Becroft said. But Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro said labelling children as potential offenders was worrying. "If we can identify young offenders by three,
then it begs the question of why we don't stop them with early intervention,"
she said yesterday. Child development researcher Richie Poulton said the disorder was caused by a combination of genes and upbringing. "Spotting what trajectory kids are on is critical. Human beings are malleable – you can make a difference if you intervene early." Professor Poulton told conference delegates, including health, education, justice and welfare officials, that the gene that caused the serious behaviour problems was almost always triggered by a child's environment. "Genes don't operate in isolation. It is childhood maltreatment that turns the gene on and off." Youth Horizons clinical director Justine Harris said there was no doubt many serious violent criminals of the future could be identified at preschool. "We're saying you need to be really targeting this specific group because they are going to do the most damage." The non-profit organisation is one of a few that deal with conduct disorders. Government funding allowed it to treat only 65 young people last year, Ms Harris said. Though some pilot studies and programmes were under way to help identify and work with these children, Judge Becroft and Professor Poulton said government agencies needed to cooperate on the issue. "The cynic from the grandstand would say the long-term benefits would be seen from 15 years," Judge Becroft said. "Early intervention is not compatible with three-year election cycles." Child, Youth and Family said yesterday that it had set up an inter-agency working group to tackle the disorder, and opened a residential home in Lower Hutt last year to run programmes for those with severe behaviour problems. Sadly a number of grandparents who are raising grandchildren have these types of children living in their homes. In some cases for grandparents the early child abuse of these children was prolonged and has indeed hard wired some children. This is something we have been raising for some length of time and it is not surprising at all. Children who have had abuse and neglect in early childhood need ongoing psycho therapy and counselling for many years. But the Mental Health system is in disarray and the waiting lists are long. Paying for a private practitioner is often out of the Grandparents finances. It stands to reason that when we in NZ have one of the highest rates of child abuse in the Western world then of course we are going to go on and have children like this. Oh and just for good measure the reports on the radio this week state that child abuse is on the up yet again. Now, wouldn’t it make sense for the Family Courts to order therapy for all young children whom have suffered abuse and neglect at the time of giving custody to the Caregiver. Also CYF need to take some of this responsibility when the children are under their care and protection, this needs to be done sooner rather than later. Caregiver Training for September: Free CYF will reimburse petrol money and child care costs. EAST/WEST Strengthening Families arose from several local and national contributing factors. These included concern about intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and the level of long-term dependency on welfare that some families face. There was also concern about gaps in services at the local level and the recognition by the health, education and welfare sectors that there were many common areas of concern, for example common clients in common areas of New Zealand. Strengthening Families aims to achieve: · better outcomes for children by helping families meet their care, control and support responsibilities · improvements in families' abilities to resolve difficulties and problems, and maximise the outcomes and opportunities for their children · clearer definitions and better collaboration between the health, education and welfare sectors locally and nationally · better use of existing resources. How Strengthening Families is achieved There are two main areas of work in the Strengthening Families strategy: local level co-ordination and national level co-ordination. This is a referral service which can be used by any organisation. After establishing what the difficulties are the Strengthening Families Co-ordinator will call in the appropriate organisations along with the family to set up the outcomes for the family. The contributing Agencies will then be accountable for the objectives. Strengthening Families locations are: North Island Wellsford East Coast Calling Wanganui GRG’s & Kin Carers: Barnardos: 12 Clarkson Avenue. Wanganui Phone: 3447221 Fax: 3447223 Dear Grandparents and Whanau, A new member joins the Counselling service at Barnardos. I (Toni Wallace) come from a clinical psychology background, and have worked with children and adolescents in a community mental health service, and before that with adults in an inpatient mental health setting. I really enjoy the energy of kids and look forward to working with groups and helping facilitate new adaptive learning for them. We have a strong belief from our experiences with the programmes we offer and our involvement with the children and their families, that every child and family in our community can gain benefits from attending the groups. As always, we remain as flexible as possible and open to your enquiries. We want to particularly promote this year our Separation Group for Children. We think it is very important for children of separated families to be able to talk about their experiences in a safe environment, and to hear that other children have the same issues to deal with. The programme runs for 4 weeks for the children only, featuring; 1. Changes, Grief and Loss 2. Feelings 3. Problem solving 4. Self-esteem. The All About Me programme continues to follow the same format, of 6 themes covered over 6 sessions. The themes feature: 1. Communication Skills 2. Feelings and Behaviour 3. Recognising and Dealing with Anger in a positive way 4. Sorting out Problems 5. Handling Put Downs 6. Self Esteem and Feeling Good about Myself Parental involvement is seen as very important to the success of the program, and parents are encouraged to attend a parent session, which is held after the children’s session each week. This time gives parents the opportunity to find out about the activities the children have worked on and to better understand the skills their child will be practising at home. The planned programmes for Terms 3 & 4 (2005) are as follows: Term 3 All About Me Term 4 All About Me We also provide individual counselling for parents and /or children 4-12yrs old depending on the needs. We welcome enquiries and referrals from parents, schools, lawyers, community organisations, government departments, doctors and anyone else interested in the programmes. Please phone us, Linda and Toni Oppositional Defiant Disorder Treatment. ODD, by Anthony Kane, MD Introduction Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is a psychiatric
behaviour disorder that is characterised by aggressiveness Description Oppositional defiant children show a consistent pattern
of refusing to follow commands or requests by adults. These children can be manipulative and often induce discord in those around them. Commonly they turn attention away from themselves by inciting parents and other family members to fight with one another. Behavioural Symptoms Normal children occasionally have episodes of defiant behaviour, particularly during ages of transition such as 2 to 3 or the teenage years where the child uses defiance in an attempt to assert himself. Children who are tired, hungry, or upset may be defiant. Oppositional defiant behaviour is a matter of degree and frequency. Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder display difficult behaviour to the extent that it can interfere with learning, school adjustment, and, sometimes, with the child's social relationships. Common behaviours seen in Oppositional Defiant Disorder include: Losing his temper Diagnosis The diagnosis of ODD is not always straight forward
and needs to be made by a psychiatrist or some other Causes It is not clear what causes Oppositional Defiant Disorder. There are currently two theories. The developmental theory suggests that ODD is really
a result of incomplete development. For some reason, ODD children
never complete the developmental tasks that normal children master
during the toddler years. They The learning theory suggests that Oppositional Defiant
Disorder comes as a response to negative interactions. Co-morbidity Oppositional Defiant Disorder usually does not occur alone. · 50-65% of ODD children also have ADD ADHD 35% of these children develop some form of affective
disorder Any child with Oppositional Defiant Disorder must be evaluated for other disorders as well. If your child has ODD it is imperative to find out what are the -existing problems. This is the key to treating the condition, as we shall soon discuss. Prognosis So what happens to these children? There are four possible paths. Some will grow out of it. Half of the preschoolers
that are labelled ODD are normal by the age of 8. However, in older
ODD children, 75% will still fulfil the diagnostic criteria later
in life. Medical Intervention One study examined the use of Ritalin to treat children with both ADHD and ODD. This study found that 90% of the children treated with Ritalin no longer had the ODD by the end of the study. The researchers skewed the results a bit. A number of children were dropped from the study because they wouldn't comply with the treatment regimen. Still, if these children are included as treatment failures the study still showed a 75% success rate. There have been two studies examining the effect of Strattera on children with both ADHD and ODD. One study showed that Strattera helped with ODD, one study showed it did not help. There was a large Canadian study that showed that Risperdal helped with aggressive behaviour in children with below normal intelligence. It did not matter if the child had ADHD or not. There was study showing that 80% of children with explosive behaviour improved when given the mood stabilizer, divalproex. There was another pilot study examining the use of Omega-3 oils and vitamin E in ODD children. Both helped the ODD behaviour to some degree. Psychological Intervention Conclusion: Advice to Parents Medically, the most important consideration is to treat other disorders that come along with ODD. Considering that Ritalin may help alleviate the problem in 75-90% of ODD children who have ADHD, and considering that most children with ODD also have some degree of ADHD, I feel that it is very worth your while to try your ODD child on Ritalin unless you know for sure that he does not have ADHD. The other treatments may also be worth a try depending upon the nature of your child. I feel that using Omega-3 supplements and a vitamin E supplement should be tried in all children. This is because most children are deficient in these nutrients. Even if it does not help with the ODD, it should make your child healthier. Parent training is still the most effective means of dealing with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The two main drawbacks of most of these programs are the expense and the availability. Some practitioners charge $100 or more per visit and considering the program will take several months costs add up. Insurance usually will not pay for such programs. Many parents complain to me that they can not afford the program that their child so desperately needs. In addition, these programs are not available everywhere. Over the years, numerous parents have told me that where they live there are no programs for Oppositional Defiant Children. I created How to Improve Your Child's Behaviour to address these two problems. It allows parents to help their children regardless of where they live and at a cost that is less than one office visit. Even though it was an experiment to try to administer such a program online and to date no one else is doing this, over the past two years How to Improve Your Child's Behaviour has proven time and again to help parents gain control of their defiant children. For more information on How to Improve Your Child's Behaviour go to our website at http://addadhdadvances.com/betterbehavior.html It is tough to live with children who have ODD. However, if you make sure that your child has his other problems addressed and you improve your parenting skills by enrolling in a parent training program, you can do a great deal to improve your child's condition and his future. Anthony Kane, MD My Teen won’t talk to me: your 2-year-old from having temper tantrums and you can't stop your teen from relying on peers and go back to relying on you. Q. My teen often answers questions with one-word answers. It makes me feel distant and estranged from her, though she's a great kid and has great conversations with friends, from what I can tell. Should I be worried? A. It is not unusual at all for teens to speak to their parents with one-word answers. "Where are you going?" "Places." "When will you be back?" "Sometime." "Who will you be with?" "People." But your final response should be, "I need more information." That being said, the days of your child bounding in the front door with the details of her day are over. She's breaking away from you so that she'll eventually be able to stand on her own as a young adult. Peers bridge the gap between dependence on parents to becoming a full-functioning independent adult. That's why she talks non stop to peers but not to you. Many parents wish their teens could sidestep this attraction to peers, but it's not part of the developmental plan. You couldn't stop Some parents mourn this loss of their child's closeness. Of course you miss those conversations and friendly interactions. Once your child moves out after high school and establishes herself confidently as a young adult, she'll come back for easy conversations and even ask for advice. But in order to determine who she is right now, she needs to separate from you. Keeping Her Safe Your job, however, is to keep her safe -- and that requires knowing where she is and who she is with. It's okay to press her, and insist on knowing her whereabouts. Let her know clearly that it's not because you want to dominate her life and control her; it's because it's a safety issue for family members to keep track of one another. Understand that she probably won't say, "No problem." She's more likely to huff away. But let her. To be compliant and agreeable equates to dependency. And teens are not necessarily doing their developmental homework when they're sweet and pleasant. Lastly, when she's home and sits down to eat a meal, sit down with her. Don't pump her for information, but open up to her about your life. Tell her of a juicy incident at the office, let her in on a bit of family gossip, and explain an outrageous piece of news. It's complimentary to teens that you see them as old enough to be in on a few intimacies of your life. Although there are no guarantees, by letting a teen in on your life, she just may let you in of hers. School Refusal Q. “How do I get my nine-year-old daughter to school? She seems to have tummy aches or headaches constantly, and misses several days of school each week. Any suggestion that she must go, she screams and cries and seems to be genuinely afraid of going to school. What can we do?" A. Situations like this require a firm hand. Do not be tempted to wait and hope that she will eventually go to school by herself. If left too long, she may never go back (seriously, it can happen!). At the same time, recognise that her anxiety and distress are genuine. Getting angry at her will not work. Try to work out if her fear is about going to school (school phobia), leaving you or home (separation anxiety), or going into crowded public places (agoraphobia). If it might be the first, check if she is being bullied, teased, embarrassed, or abused at, or on the way to, school. Work closely with the teachers to identify and deal with any problematic situations. Take her to the doctor for a complete physical examination. Tell the doctor the whole story and ask him to rule out any serious illnesses. Once the doctor has done this, believe him! Do not chase after ever more expensive tests. From this point onwards your assumption is that the child is well and so should be in school. Give her firm and confident reassurance that both she and you will be fine when she is there. If she complains again of being unwell you then have two options: The first is that you insist that she go to school unless there is clear, measurable, evidence that she is sick, for example having a temperature, obvious diarrhoea and vomiting, etc. Just "feeling unwell" is not enough to miss school, after all, many adults have to go to work with headaches or other symptoms. The second option is to "believe" her. Since she says she is too unwell to go to school, then clearly she is too unwell to be up and about the house. If she is sick then she is sick, and so she goes to bed: lights off, curtains closed, no TV, no special snacks. Ignore her and go about your normal daily routine. Make sure that the option of staying home is boring. If she is not sleeping then, ideally she should be doing some school work. Certainly there should be no friends or visitors to entertain her. Along with this, set up clear incentives (rewards, privileges) for getting to school. You must be tough and firm, but also calm, about all of this. Be clear that you expect her to be at school, but do not get into a fight with her about it. The goal is for her to want to get back as quickly as possible. Once there, and she discovers that nothing does happen to her or to you while at school, the symptoms of depression and anxiety should rapidly resolve. If none of this works, or if you are concerned about a serious depression or anxiety disorder, seek professional help through your family doctor. But please, don't just hope it will go away on its own. You need to take some decisive action. Di’s Little OE: Our new Waiheke GRG Support group asked me over to give a speech. For those not in Auckland, Waiheke Island is 45 minutes by ferry from Devonport. I purchased my return ticket from Fullers Ferry Services and asked the girl which gangway was I to go down and she pointed to the right. Now it was bedlam in the building as the last rugby Test match was to be played that evening and the building was a sea of red jackets moving very slowly. The boat arrived and I boarded along with many others. Once settled I thought this was odd as ferry was heading back to Auckland. Oh well I thought perhaps it picks up more people from the city then head out to Waiheke. Low and behold after going to the city we headed back to Devonport again. This was most odd so I asked an attendant and he told me ‘no this boat just goes back and forth to the city’. He stated that I was to run too as the Waiheke boat was just over to the left. As I tried to get thru the sea of red jackets the boat left. I went and spoke to the girl at the counter, and told her she had told me the wrong boat and I was expected on the Island to do a speech. She grabbed the RT and called the captain of the ferry, hats off to her she admitted it was her fault and unbelievably the Ferry turned around and came back again. Of course most of the red jacketed people wanted to know what was going on and crowded out on to the decks. Probably after the bombings in London (shocking) they were alarmed. A very embarrassed Di boarded the Ferry and slunk quietly in a corner. I did eventually get to Waiheke, where I was to learn from the Island folk that this Ferry never comes back for anyone unless you are the PM or royalty. Mmmmm better stick close to home, but then again…… Citizens Advice Bureau: These offices are a mine of information on all manner of things. Telephone 0800 367 222 and this will automatically put you through to your local office. Harry Potter: The much anticipated release of this book saw my grand-daughter head to her room for a whole day (10 hours) and evening reading, with short stops for meals. If nothing else this series had encouraged a generation to read, bit like our days but it was “Famous 5” and the “Secret Seven” by Enid Blyton. New GRG Web Site: Development and construction of this upgrade began on July 25th and will take 8 weeks before ready. Will keep you posted. Di National Convenor and the team. E te Atua, aroha mai..... O God shower us with love Ka kite
* Please feel free to send this report on to others whom you think may be interested: * Please pass this on to other grandparents/kin carers you know of. * Views expressed in this newsletter may not be the views of the GRG Trust. * GRG Trust Head Office hours are 9am-3pm daily. (We raise grandchildren too) * We are totally a voluntary organisation.
Abbreviations: ¨ GRG – Grandparents raising Grandchildren ™ ¨ H/O – Head Office ¨ H/B – Handbook ¨ BOT – Board of Trustee’s ¨ CYF – Child Youth & Family Services ¨ UCB – Unsupported Child Benefit. ¨ WINZ – Work & Income NZ now DWI – Department of Work & Income ¨ Grand’s – Grandparents ¨ G/c – grandchild/ren Membership: 2963 (families)
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