Our campaign: what we are doing

On behalf of grandchildren missing their loved and safe grandparents, we are working to change policy, practice and the law:

amend the Children Act 1989 to reflect a legal presumption of contact between a child and their safe grandparent.

ensure that all leaders and practitioners in all children and young people's settings such as schools, day care, social care and extracurricular activities are made aware of this issue and its impact on the grandchild

that all leaders and practitioners in all children and young people's settings are actively identifying and supporting the child or young person through it in their settings. This includes being given the tools to actively identify and support the grandchild in their settings

work with parents' groups, professionals and agencies to support them to enable safe grandchild-grandparent contact despite their difficult adult relationships

secure a professional requirement that all registered family mediators, therapists and counsellors are trained in understanding and identifying the issue and impact of forcibly separated grandchildren and grandparents, including the impact on the grandchild’s psychological and physical development and wellbeing.

ensure that all family courts and officers' assessments of children and young people include a comprehensive assessment of the importance and contribution of a grandparent to those grandchildren’s lives, with a recognition that alienating behaviours may be spuriously affecting the child or young person's perspective or decision-making.

secure the sign-up and accreditation of all services, professionals and agencies that work with grandchildren to The Grandchildren's Charter.

support grandchildren of all ages in the re-connection process with their grandparents, to ensure that their missed childhood relationship, years of fun and love do not become a lifetime of lost relationship.

What have we done so far?

We have researched and written the amendment to the Children Act 1989 to reflect the legal presumption of grandchild-grandparent contact.
We have undertaken a survey in 2022 on the topic of grandchildren and grandparents who are actively prevented from continuing their relationship with each other.
We have contributed to nationally funded AHRC academic legal research in 2023-24 on the importance and benefits to grandchildren of grandparents in their lives.
We have been part of a national report launch 'Grandparents United for Children' in November 2023 on the issue of grandchildren and grandparents being forced to discontinue their relationship.
We participated in an exhibition organised by Hendon Grandparents Group on the issue at the Houses of Parliament in early 2024.
We launched a webinar series in Autumn 2024 to inform, educate and support grandparents, families and professionals on the specific impact on grandchildren unable to continue their relationship with their grandparent.
Key personnel have completed training on trauma-informed practice, intergenerational trauma, attachment, young people's mental health, safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, and attended a national conference on school health and wellbeing.

We, with grandparents and families, are lobbying Parliament to secure legal, policy and practice change.
We are raising awareness of this growing issue for children and young people with key leaders and decision-makers such as the Children's Commissioners, Cafcass, education leaders and family courts.
We have created The Grandchildren's Charter so that anyone working with grandchildren who are prevented from seeing their (safe) grandparent can sign up to to commit to helping our grandchildren in a way that works for the grandchild.
We are piloting new ways of working with grandchildren and their families in our Grandchildren First programme to practically and sensitively facilitate the grandchild-grandparent relationship in the context of strained or collapsed adults' relationships.
We are applying for UNCRC rights-respecting status.
We are starting to work with organisations and professionals in the education, family, legal, mediation, health, therapy and voluntary sectors working with grandchildren and their families to avoid outcomes such as:

- handling a significant ambiguous loss and grief process in isolation and without support

- experiencing self-blame, confusion, hyperawareness and embarrassment

- somatic symptoms of unsupported loss, grief, anxiety and depression e.g. stomach ache, tiredness

- educational changes e.g. school reluctance, drop in performance, interest or attendance

- behaviour changes e.g. acting-out, withdrawal, insomnia, friendship breakdowns, angry outbursts

grandparents being cautioned or arrested for sending a grandchild e.g. birthday gifts, letters
grandchild-grandparent contact requiring informal ‘safeguarding supervision’ when the grandparent continues their relationship with their other grandchildren unsupervised.