Rights to Financial Support

The law is clear that parents have a duty and obligation to financially support their children. 

If you are caring for someone else's child you are entitled to seek financial support for their care.  However the circumstances in which you have become the caregiver has a significant bearing on where and to whom you can turn for financial support.  

For most full-time grandparent and whanau caregivers we work with they have become caregivers because of a family breakdown and the parents are unable to care for them, or as the result of the death of the parents.

But this is not always the case. For some families, arrangements within the family have been made for economic or cultural reasons that the grandparents or someone else in the family will care for the children full-time.  If you are in this situation, the information in our guide on the Unsupported Child Benefit or the foster/whanau caregiver CYF Board payments is unlikely to apply.  

You may be entitled to child support from the children's parents and/or eligible for Working for Families tax credits or some other form of income support.

Our support services are available to all full-time grandparent and whanau caregivers irrespective of the reason the children have come into your care.  

Please read through our materials and the links to Handbooks and other websites and if you need further help please call us on 0800 GRANDS (0800 472637) or contact Work and Income office or the IRD for advice on your particular situation.

If you are a full-time grandparent/whanau caregiver and you do not receive Caregiver board payments through Child Youth and Family please click here to read our guide on financial support for grandparent and whanau caregivers.

If you are a full-time grandparent/whanau caregiver of children placed in your care following an order made under the Children Young Persons and their Families Act 1989 Caregiver board payments are made to you for the financial support of the children as if you are a foster carer.  These payments are authorised under the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 not the Social Security Act 1964 which applies to the UCB and other income support.  

To find out more about the Caregiver board payments and support please click here >> 

To find out the Caregiver board rates please click here >>