Grandparents supporting work/family options: Is their role unrecognized and undervalued?
Joy Goodfellow and Judy Laverty
University of Western Sydney
Contact Email:   jgoodfellowbigpond.com

Changing demographics and patterns of employment over recent years has resulted in an increased demand for child care. This paper will present findings of a research project that investigated the lived experiences of grandparents. While national and international studies of grandparenting have addressed issues surrounding the provision of custodial care, few have sought to investigate the impact on grandparents of having the responsibility for providing child care on a regular basis for families with very young children. Grandparents in this study highlighted the need for family policies that take into account a broader concept of family; recognize the role of grandparents; and, take into consideration the extent to which they, like their daughters, may be balancing work and family responsibilities. Since grandparents are a significant community resource the paper concludes by considering the paradoxes and contradictions within family ties as well as the extent to which greater recognition should be given to grandparents’ contribution to child care provision.

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