Theres nothing so Grand as a Grandparent in France

Meaningful grandparents would not dream of telling a child what to do, that is the parents job. In our experience grandparents should adopt a role of support rather than telling anyone what to do as this could lead to family problems as interfering.

That sounds like very wise advice. That seems to be the way things are done here in France. The grandparents do adopt a role of support.

I was not condemning the system i’m trying to know more about it.
Grandparents in Scotland have no legal rights to their grandchildren and at a whim can be shut out of a child’s life. A lot of them tread on eggshells. In our experience the problem we have is the grandparents have reared a family got the t-shirt seen the movie etc and ooze with confidence and young parents seem to take this as patronising and a threat to their parenting. Since we have been alerting grandparents to this and with a change in attitude a lot of our members have regained cotact with their grandchildren.

Party Political Appeal

In France, visitation rights for grandparents are the law. Le Figaro reports that parents must have some pretty strong reasons why the kids can’t visit their grandparents - the grandparents have the right to invite the kids to their homes and also to help out with their education.

British Grandparents must have legal rights in relation to their grandchildren as follows -

1. ‘Grandparental Contact Rights’ (becoming a relevant person) of a couple of hours per month, more by negotiation, the right to send and receive cards, presents, texts, phone calls, e-mails etc. (not the same rights as parents). Grandparents have already reared a family and unless circumstances dictate it, do not want to rear another, but for the love of their grandchildren they will often do so if required.
2. Grandparents should be kept in contact for child protection reasons. The NSPCC are saying ‘The Forgotten Children’ that are in danger of abuse in the home at the rate of 2 every week and rising because of the drug culture across the UK.
3. Flouting of contact orders granted by our courts must be addressed.
4. Family values must be promoted, whether they live in one household or not.
5. Abuse of grandparents and grandchildren by social services must be stopped (a) Telling them if they don’t take their grandchildren without payment they will go into care. (b) Alienating children in care from their birth families to make adoption easier.
6. When grandparents look after their grandchildren a back-up support and financial package is required to ensure they are not living in poverty as is too often the case.
7. If persons concerned with the welfare of a child/ren refuse to attend mediation then it should be mandatory.

Children only require what caring families provide already; security, stability and love and that includes grandparents being allowed to be part of their lives, unless it would put them in danger.

We hold no political views other than what our concerns are about our grandchildren but will work with any party who gives us a clear manifesto commitment to enable us to protect our grandchildren.

Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland
Jimmy Deuchars.
22 Alness Crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk

lovely to see grandparents as part of the “village” of childrearing…although sometimes criticism from a grandparent may actually be harder to take!

Isn’t it the truth? I’ll never forget Grandpa’s voice lessons. He was convinced that my voice was about an octave to high so he kept me singing Do at a lower octave. It was pretty awful. But it could have been worse, at least it wasn’t playing a harmonica in “Once Upon a Time in the West”! In the long run, he probably was right. At least we need to give credit to grandparents who try to guide their grandchildren in whatever way they can. Even if sometimes the ‘guidance’ is not very well received. I’m glad he cared enough at least to try.

Press release.
Immediate
21st January 2007

Grandparents vital role in the protection of children.

The present government in Scotland are making a name for themselves with ground breaking little thought out legislation of adopting children to single people and non traditional family people which increases the chance of children falling into the clutches of paedophiles. It is obvious they have not taking this danger into account. They claim they recognise the role grandparents can play in their grandchildren’s lives but will not back that up with well evidenced legislation. The Charter for Grandchildren was supposed to help but as it is for guidelines only and is being ignored by warring families and got around by professionals

The role that grandparents who have done no wrong can play is not just an emotional issue but is a vital safety issue. The lack of legal contact prevents grandparents from protecting their grandchildren while this abuse goes on behind closed doors where the child can be damaged or worse. A minimum Legal contact of a couple of hours a month more by negotiation and the legal right to exchange phone calls, texts, emails, birthday and Christmas cards and presents is urgently required to spot whether a child is in a danger situation. The right to do what loving families do already.

It is not only grandparents who should be aware of the danger children are in. It is the whole of societies concern. The more children are abused and used as weapons and blackmail then god help us in the future as children learn what they live.

According to numerous children’s organisations child abuse is increasing because of the drugs 60,000 and 100,000 alcohol problem homes in Scotland which is dubbed the drug capitol of Europe. Is this not proof enough that grandparents must play a major role in children’s lives. Who better can do the job with the love they have for their own flesh and blood.

Ends

Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland
Jimmy Deuchars.
22 Alness Crescent
Glasgow G52 1PJ
0141 882 5658
james@grandparents.fsnet.co.uk
http://www.grandparentsapart.co.uk

Press release. Immediate 28th january 2007

The Penny Pinching Scottish Executive.

Jack McConnell promised that grandparents that are caring for their grandchildren would receive a granny grant. The grant called kinship care was because the children were living in poverty as grandparents tried to make ends meet with little or no assistance. The reasons being the parent or parents are not available or the children are to be taken into care because of abuse or drug or alcohol problems. Only the children that are placed by the social services will receive the granny grant. Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland think the government should clarify this.

The scenario goes like this.

The social worker asks the grandparents if they are willing to take the children. Because everybody’s emotions are shattered, with the children crying and distressed, the grandparents are very emotional and feel obliged to do so. This is regarded as taking them voluntary. The full granny grant is not paid in these circumstances. If they said no to caring for them at that time they are regarded as not wanting the child/ren and the social services infer if they don’t take them they will be adopted and not see them again. Under circumstances like these what grandparent would refuse to take their grandchildren. It is emotional blackmail by social services the ultimate insult to older people. The grandparents lose out on the granny grant if they do, or lose out on the children if the don’t. Not very many grandparents will qualify for this grant called kinship care.

Our group has repeatedly pointed out that cutting costs rather than the welfare of children is the order of the day since social services were told to speed up their service. It is not human beings but commodities they are now working with, dealing with them as cheaply and as quickly as they can.. This is achieved by alienating them from their families and adopting them without the consent of their family because it is easier to place a child without family ties. Now to increase the market where children can be turned over the government are recruiting single people and non traditional family people as adopters. We feel by not having traditional family adopters this is increasing the danger to children of the very clever paedophile rings we read about.

We will make sure this does not happen says the government. How! When they have aready lost track of hundreds of sex offenders. They cannot even recruit social workers because some people have a conscience and like to be able to sleep at night rather than carry out the duties required of them by social services

Ends

Jimmy Deuchars

Grandparents Apart Self Help Group Scotland

22 Alness crescent

Glasgow G52 1PJ

0141 882 5658

Here, here! You are a formidable spokesperson. Have you any comments to make about the global warming conference in Paris this week?