We support over 1,000 grandparents and informal carers who care for more than 2,000 children across South Australia
Our Support for Grandcarers
Our Vision
All Grandcarers are empowered to provide a safe, secure and nurturing family environment where all children in their care can thrive.
Our aim is to provide comprehensive support to Grandcarers (grandparents and kinship carers) through financial assistance, personal support, information provision, and advocacy. We aim to empower Grandcarers to achieve positive outcomes for themselves and the children in their care.
Most of our Grandcarers are not a part of the traditional “child placement system”. The majority of Grandcarers play the role of informal primary carers for child care for different reasons.
Informal primary carers are grandparents and other kinship carers who have become full time primary carers of children, but have no legal parental status or legislative instrument to formalise their caring role of the child or children.
We have over 1,300 registered clients at Grandcarers SA, who care for more than 2,200 children across South Australia. About two-thirds are informal kinship carers, with the vast majority being grandparents. Most of the children in their care have experienced trauma or have mental health issues.
Research shows that kinship care provides better mental health outcomes and more stable placements than care outside of the family, reducing the need for healthcare and income assistance later in life.
Our Impact
* Numbers are current as at the end of the calendar year 2025
Believe the support from Grandcarers SA has helped them keep the children in their care
Feel better connected to the community because of Grandcarers SA
Feel Grandcarers SA helps them deal with care related challenges
Feel listened to when in contact with Grandcarers SA
* Numbers are taken from our Granparent and Kinship Carer Survey 2025/26
The Fifteen Facts Flyer for 2025/2026 has been produced from a client online survey (R2D2).
These facts paint a clear picture of our Grandcarer’s challenges, while also highlighting the difference our support makes – financially, emotionally, and practically.
Our Services (including Advocacy)
Most of our Grandcarers are not a part of the traditional “child placement system”. The majority of Grandcarers play the role of informal primary carers for child care for different reasons.
Unfortunately, Informal Kinship Carers are not recognised the same way Formal carers are.
Grandcarers SA provides a suite of services and supports for our clients including:
- Personal Support (personal and peer led)
- Information provision
- Limited financial support
- Advocacy
Our Grandcarers SA Story
Grandcarers and the children in their care talk about the impact that Grandcarers SA has had on their lives.
Thank you for your support
We would like to acknowledge and thank the below organisations who provide much needed funding, partnerships or practical support.
