The Grandparents Doing It Tough support group, made up of grandparents aged 50 to 80 years old who raise one to seven grandchildren, will protest in Wagga to fight their Out of Home Care system status on April 28. 

Grandparents permanently raising their grandchildren are currently viewed as foster carers by the NSW state government, but are fighting to be considered as family. 

Grandparents are subject to the same lengthy assessments, medical examinations and criminal history checks as potential foster carers. 

Despite their blood ties, grandparents must seek permission to travel interstate to visit extended family. 

Protest facilitator Lyn Reilly said grandparents who are classified as informal carers received little and sometimes no financial assistance. 

“Grandparents are fighting for equality in financial support to assist them in providing a stable and secure home,” Ms Reilly said. 

“This is in stark contrast to foster carers who receive a financial allowance to support them in caring for foster children.” 

Ms Reilly said the rise of family and domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues means grandparents are increasingly giving up their future to care for their grandchildren. 

“They do this not because they have to, but because grandchildren are family,” Ms Reilly said. The protest will leave the Wagga City Council building at 10am.