Bay grandparents raising grandchildren set to benefit from $34k grant

Bay of Plenty grandparents raising their grandchildren are set for a $34,000 funding boost.

The funding from BayTrust was set to benefit local grandparents caring fulltime for their grandchildren amid warnings a generational crisis was looming.

More than 900 grandparents were now caring for approximately 1700 Bay of Plenty children who were no longer living with their parents.

Reasons for this came down to things like drug abuse, neglect, family violence and alcohol.

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Charitable Trust NZ will receive the funding to strengthen the support they offered in a number of different spots in the Bay.

Trained coordinators were currently based in Pāpāmoa, Te Puke, Rotorua, Taupō, Ōpōtiki, and Katikati.

The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Charitable Trust chief executive Kate Bundle said many of the children concerned had experienced years of trauma, abuse and chaos.

She said caregiving grandparents provided the children with a sense of security and love that was vital for healthy development.

Support group coordinators help grandparents and caregivers obtain the correct income entitlements, as well as provide emergency food packages and social support.

Monthly meetings were held for grandparents to meet others in similar situations and a caregiver education programme is run to help them understand how to best care for their vulnerable grandchildren.

The trust was partially-government funded.

Bundle said she believed there was a real generational crisis looming so more resources into educating youth about making good choices was vital.

BayTrust chief executive Alastair Rhodes said strengthening whanau was a key funding priority area.

"Our vision aligns very clearly with the work that Grandparents Raising Grandchildren does and we're delighted to support them financially with this grant."