Poem

The Special Story.

Today I watched the little ones, angels, kings and fluffy sheep,

Memories when my children were on stage, memories to savour and to keep,

Telling the story we hear, at this time of the year, carols ringing out,

Teachers saying with encouragement, that there is no need to shout!

I wonder what my Granddaughter is in the important tale,

I have no doubt, she will raise a smile without fail,

How I long to see her, perhaps a donkey or maybe a star,

That tiny babe, his mum and dad, three kings from afar.

I my garden standing proud, a special Christmas tree,

With messages from Grandparents, their thoughts will fly free

Straight to the hearts of their precious ones, hugs and kiss

Across the miles, over the water, to those we miss.

Jane

Meeting .

Last meeting of The Bristol Support Group on Friday 3rd Dec before Christmas, weather permitting.

Campaigning grandmother in Scunthorpe.

A grandmother in Scunthorpe moving things forward click here

Good Morning Sunday Radio 2

This morning Aled Jones on Good Morning Sunday read out my message about denied contact and about our 'Tree of Hope,' Christmas tree, thanks you to him. x

Commons Motion

Grandparents (Access Rights)

Motion for leave to introduce a Bill (Standing Order No. 23)

4.33 pm

Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) (Con): I beg to move,

That leave be given to bring in a Bill to give grandparents rights of access to their grandchildren in certain circumstances; and for connected purposes.

Although this might be entitled the Grandparents (Access Rights) Bill, it could just as easily be renamed the Grandchildren's Rights Bill. If the Bill progresses, it will increase the rights of grandchildren to access their grandparents.

I want to thank many of the campaigners who were involved in this campaign, which has gone on for some time, including my predecessor as MP for Brigg and Goole, Mr Ian Cawsey, who moved a similar Bill a couple of years ago that was sponsored by you, Mr Speaker. A number of organisations are involved, including the Grandparents Association and I also want to draw on some of the work undertaken by the Centre for Social Justice. Above all, I want to pay tribute to my constituent, Dorothy Fagge, who has been a dedicated campaigner on this issue for a number of years, having twice been to court to access two different sets of her grandchildren. I shall talk about Dorothy's experience in a moment.

Some 1.3 million families in England use grandparents as the primary source of care for about 1.8 million children, offering a saving to the taxpayer of about £4.8 billion a year given the average cost of child care. That would equate to a cost of about £92 million a week to the public purse.

The Grandparents Association estimates that about 1 million children do not see their grandparents because families have separated or lost touch. For me, the role that my grandparents played in my childhood and until they passed away was incredibly significant, and its value cannot be quantified. There is strong evidence regarding the value of grandparental involvement, particularly in the lives of adolescents, in reducing adjustment difficulties when marriages or partnerships fail. That was reported a few years ago in a national study, "Involved Grandparenting and Child Well-being".

That view is shared not only by those who have an interest in this area and have campaigned in it, but by young people. A study that was quoted in the Centre for Social Justice's family law and children report showed that 75% of young people said that a grandparent was the most important person, or one of the most important people, in their life. A sample of 1,500 young people showed that grandparental involvement in schooling and education is linked to lower maladjustment scores and fewer contact problems and that being able to talk to a grandparent is linked to their having fewer emotional and behavioural problems.

As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, before I came to the House I was a schoolteacher. I taught in a number of very deprived communities in Yorkshire and we sometimes found that grandparents were the sole point of contact in a child's life, acting as an anchor or rock. Often, when all else around was failing, the grandparents were the only people left standing for
23 Nov 2010 : Column 190
that young person. Sadly, grandfathers are sometimes the only male role model whom many young people encounter.

The value of grandparents can never be underestimated. I cannot put that point better than Pam Wilson of the Grandparents Action Group UK, who has stated:

"Grandparents are a link to the past and a bridge to the future, for family history and medical details. To give a child a sense of belonging from the roots of their family."

Similarly, Peter Harris who was formerly the Official Solicitor and is now with the Grandparents Association, has said:

"Grandparents are known to provide care for grandchildren more extensively than other relatives, and we believe that this puts them in a special category."

I believe that grandparents should be placed in that special category.

Grandparents can face a number of legal problems, particularly when they have been denied access to their grandchildren as a result of bereavement or divorce. With bereavement, the surviving parent might find a new partner, which might involve the grandchildren being introduced to a new family. Over time, the family might move and grow ever more distant from the bereaved grandparents. With divorce and separation, the grandparents are often forced to take sides and it is human nature for them to side with their own child. That can lead to children being used as a weapon in particularly acrimonious divorces or separations. Access is often denied or, even worse, traded for financial reasons.

All that places grandparents in an incredibly difficult position. Currently, the law is not necessarily on their side. There is no automatic right for a grandparent to go to court to seek contact with their grandchild. In fact, they must seek the court's permission to seek access through it. The process can be long winded and very expensive. This morning, I spoke to Lynn Chesterman of the Grandparents Association, who told me that the average cost of such a process is about £20,000. That option might be accessible for better-off grandparents, but there would be no possibility of those from more deprived or poorer backgrounds pursuing it.

My constituent, Dorothy Fagge, whom I mentioned earlier, was able to go to court and use substantial amounts of her own finances to gain access to her grandchildren, which had been denied to her in two different circumstances, one of which was incredibly tragic. Despite all her resources and her ability to pay for legal representation, it took her more than a year to gain access.

This is not an easy situation to address. I understand that, and there will always be cases in which contact with grandparents is not desirable, but the courts must determine that. However, I seek through the Bill some changes to the law to protect grandchildren in gaining access to their grandparents. I would like to see an automatic right for grandparents to seek contact through the courts so that they do not have to go through the double process of having to seek leave first. I hope that, through the review undertaken by the coalition Government, there will be moves to establish some form of early mediation to sort out contact issues, which happens through the Australian family mediation centres.

23 Nov 2010 : Column 191

It has also been suggested that there should be a presumption in law that children have a right to their grandparents, subject to the appropriate protections I mentioned earlier. One recent proposal, which is worthy of further investigation, is that children should have, at the very least, an automatic right to letterbox contact with their grandparents while proceedings in the courts are progressing. In the case of a bereaved grandparent, there is a strong argument that the grandparent, who is often the child's only link to that side of the family, should inherit the right that previously existed for the parent.

I know that this is not an easy issue, and that the Government are already examining it through the family law review, which is due to report next year. As I said at the beginning of my speech, my own grandparents were incredibly important to me. I know that for many people the role that their grandparents play in their lives is one that they value for the rest of their lives. It is appalling when grandchildren are used as a tool in divorce or in separation. That is why I would like to see implemented the changes that I have outlined, so that we can better protect the rights of grandparents and of grandchildren.

Question put and agreed to.

Ordered,

That Andrew Percy, Tracey Crouch, Justin Tomlinson, Tom Blenkinsop, Mr Gregory Campbell, Karen Bradley, James Wharton, Greg Mulholland, Chris Skidmore, Martin Vickers, Mr Brian Binley and Craig Whittaker present the Bill.

Andrew Percy accordingly presented the Bill.

Bill read the First time; to be read a Second time on Friday 17 June , and to be printed (Bill 110).

Radio Interview.

Marc and I went and did our interview this morning on Radio Bristol , the presenter had no idea that there are over one million children in the UK who are denied contact with their grandparents, and he dedicated the 'love songs' to Liandra.

Radio Interview.

On Radio Bristol tomorrow morning at 10am.

Lobbying MP for Grandchildren.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Grandparents-lobby-MP-contact-rights/article-2924249-detail/article.html

Donation???

Anyone out there know someone who would like to donate our Christmas "Tree of Hope" for The Bristol Grandparents Support Group? Only a small one!

Jane

Your memories of your Grandparents?

Think of the word 'grandparents',what do you first think of?

What are your memories are they good ones?

I know when I smell sweet peas I think of my grandfather, as he grew lots of them in his beautiful garden and I remember a tiny doll my Granny Jo gave me called Isabelle.

Please share your thoughts.

Jane

Who should take responsibility?

It took me nearly two years to set up a support group for grandparents , in Bristol, who have lost contact with their grandchildren. I have spent a great deal of time considering why it has been so difficult for grandparents to put their heads above the parapet, I believe there are lots of reasons, it could be that they are involved in a court case so of course they don’t say anything for fear of jeopardising their case, they are afraid that if they speak out it could make a heartbreaking situation even worse and for me I feel as a grandparent I should be able to make it better and to have failed fills me with shame.
When you find yourself in this situation, when all lines of communication have broken down you start to explore the different options open to you. You will soon discover that as a grandparent you have no automatic legal rights to see your grandchildren, but you will also find solicitors who are only to willing to apply for leave (permission) to the court for you to then apply for a contact order. It is necessary to apply to the court for leave to apply, as a grandparent, as set down in ‘The Children Act 1989.’
In the eyes of the law grandparents are referred to as “irrelevant persons.’

Complicated, it is indeed.

I read with interest a newspaper article recently, where a retired judge had gone through this process and all the anguish it involves for everyone concerned, he and his family decided to withdraw their application as the emotional strain was too great but he also concluded that even if an order for contact was agreed it would lead to turmoil of a kind that would be detrimental to the children. He also stated, that he believes that the approach of the family court ,in cases such as these is fundamentally flawed. And that the welfare of the children should not involve a court battle between to factions.
I speak to grandparents daily, all with their own very painful experiences, causes are family breakdown, alcohol, drugs, bereavement and grandparents who have been full time carers to their grandchildren, for years, only for mum/dad to decide that she/he wants the children back , what would you do if you opened your front door one morning to find two policeman and a social worker there to take your grandchildren away?
In some of these cases the children are returned to drug and alcohol users, lives that are full of dangers.
What ever happened to child protection?

Are we never going to learn by past experiences, when people ring alarm bells to the authorities, they must act, they must listen, saying sorry after a tragic event is not enough. Take responsibility.

I must make it clear that of course if mum/dad have decided that they do want their children back everything must be done to make it happen. But not like this. These children had never seen their mum/dad, had no contact at all, mum/dad were complete strangers to them.

It has to be handled sensitively , slowly and with love.

Of course this issue does not only involve grandparents, many fathers /mothers are going through similar experiences, having no contact with their children , and yes fathers/mothers do of course have rights but so often ,like the retired judge they feel to battle on with court cases etc is detrimental to their children.

Children have to continue to live their lives with whoever the resident parent may be, and it may not always be the life that the non-resident parent or grandparent would choose for their children/grandchildren but to continue through the courts will make life more difficult for them than it very probably is already.

If a retired judge could not break through, then what hope do we have with no knowledge of the law at all, putting our trust in very highly paid solicitors who tell us ‘you have a good case, and to help you with our fees, here’s a paying in book dated every month until 2012!’

The role of grandparents.

When you are faced with the heartbreaking situation we find ourselves in, you think it is only you, that no-one else is experiencing your feelings of desolation,but of course you are not alone.The grandparents that I have spoken to, all say the same thing that to be able to talk to others who are denied contact is so helpful, before they felt so isolated.
Like being a parent for the first time, no-one tells you how to do it, you do it by making mistakes and learning by those mistakes. Being a grandparent is no different, no-one tells you how to play this important role, the trouble is that when you make mistakes it can have catastrophic consequences.
A wrong word, a misunderstood look is sometimes enough for it to start to fall apart.In a perfect world we would all be respectful of one another, make allowances be caring but sadly this is not a perfect world, people are busy, they are anxious, the outlook is uncertain, but we ALL still need other human beings in our lives.
As a grandparent remember how it was when you were a parent for the first time, be there to be supportive never to interfere allow your children to make the same mistakes you made and to learn from them, think your own thoughts but leave just as thought not the spoken word.

Legal Aid Limit

It is clear from FNF, Families Need Fathers, that there is a very real concern that if/when Legal Aid limits are changed that there is a loop hole for more accusations of Domestic Violence being made as Legal Aid will then be granted.

It occurs to me, that it is nearly always women who are portrayed as being victims of DV, but I know that it is not always women, so my question is, 'do men who are victims of domestic violence consider Legal Aid?'

Comments

I am at present unable to write comments so am looking into what the problem is now.

Jane

TV

A TV production company contacted me today re further programme.

Article

Take-a-Break mag featuring an article today re denied contact grandparents, myself and one of The Bristol group are featured.

When will it be my turn?

The phone rings ,it rings and rings,

‘Hello, how are you, what did you say?’

Oh that’s fantastic news, how did it happen,

He asked you to be his friend on Facebook ,you accepted,

He said he thought you had forgotten him,

He was told that you didn’t care,

But you have always been waiting there.

I smile and cry along with you,

Its been a good year for lost ones being found,

It is why I do what I do , we hope together,

We support each other, we fight,

And speak to those we think can make a difference.

Inside I cry out loud ,who is listening to me,

When will it be my turn, when will I make someone’s phone ring,

And say, ‘Hello, it’s happened?’

When, oh when.

Special Guardianship.

A special guardianship order is an order appointing one or more individuals to be a child's 'special guardian'. It is a private law order made under the Children Act 1989 and is intended for those children who cannot live with their birth parents and who would benefit from a legally secure placement. It is a more secure order than a residence order because a parent cannot apply to discharge it unless they have the permission of the court to do so, however it is less secure than an adoption order because it does not end the legal relationship between the child and his/her birth parents.

Who can apply?

The following people may apply to be special guardians:

• Any guardian of the child.
• Any individual who has a residence order or any person where a residence order is in force and who has the consent of the person in whose favour the residence order is made.
• Anyone with whom the child has lived for at least three years out of the last five years.
• Anyone with the consent of the local authority if the child is in care.
• A local authority foster parent with whom the child has lived for at least one year preceding the application.
• Anyone who has the consent of those with parental responsibility.
• Anyone who has the leave of the court.
• NOTE: You must be over 18 years of age and you can apply on your own or jointly with another person.

Who cannot apply?

A parent of a child may not be appointed as the child's special guardian.

The court's decision

The court must decide that a special guardianship order is the most appropriate order to make in the best interests of the child. The court must consider whether, in addition to the making of a special guardianship order, a contact order should be made and whether any existing Section 8 Orders should be varied or discharged.The court must have the benefit of the local authority report dealing with the suitability of the applicant and any other matters that the local authority consider relevant before it can make an order (Children Act 1989, section 14A(8), (9).

What is the effect of a special guardianship order?

This order discharges any existing care order or related section 34 Contact Order. It confers parental responsibility, which can be exercised to the exclusion of any other person with parental responsibility apart from another special guardian. The special guardian has responsibility for day to day decisions relating to a child's care and upbringing. This order allows a special guardian to remove a child from the UK for up to three months without consent of others with Parental Responsibility or the leave of the court. The court can give permission for the child to be taken out of the jurisdiction for longer than three months.On making a special guardianship order the court may give leave for the child to be known by a new surname.

The role of the local authority

The regulations say that the local authority report should include certain key information about the child such as:

• Whether the child has brothers and sisters and details of both parents.
• The relationship a child has with other family members and the arrangements for the child to see or keep in touch with different family members.
• Details of the child's relationship with his/her parents.
• The parent/s' and the child's wishes and feelings.
• The prospective Guardian's family composition and circumstances.
• Parenting capacity.
• Medical information on the child, prospective special guardian and the birth parent(s).
• An assessment of how a Special Guardianship Order would meet a child's long term interests as compared with other types of order.

Support services

Each local authority must make arrangements for the provision of special guardianship support services which may include:

• Financial assistance (means tested).
• Assistance with the arrangements for contact between a child, his/her parents and any relatives that the local authority consider to be beneficial.
• This assistance can include cash to help with the cost of travel, entertainment, and mediation to help resolve difficulties on contact.
• Respite care.
• Counselling, advice, information and other support services.
• Services to enable children, parents and special guardians to discuss matters, this might include setting up a support group.
• Therapeutic services for the child.

Residence Order.

A residence order is a court order ‘settling the arrangements ... as to the person with whom a child is to live.’ An order made in your favour will mean that your grandchild will live, or continue to live, with you. It will also give you parental responsibility for your grandchild as long as the order continues.

This means that you can take most of the decisions that a parent can take about a child’s care and upbringing. However, no one who has a residence order may take the child abroad for more than a month or change the child’s surname unless everyone with parental responsibility agrees in writing or the court gives permission.

The residence order will not affect your grandchild’s legal relationship with his or her parents nor will it take away their parental responsibility. This means that you will share parental responsibility with the child’s mother and also with his or her father if he has ever been married to the mother or he has acquired parental responsibility if they were never married.

Even though you have parental responsibility, some decisions can still be taken only by parents with parental responsibility. These include the right to agree or refuse to agree to an adoption order being made and the right to appoint a guardian for the child.

Do grandparents have a right to apply for a residence order?

Certain people, for example, parents, are automatically entitled to apply for residence orders and you would be entitled to apply if a child had lived with you for three years. If you do not fit into any of the groups of people who have a right to apply, you must obtain the permission of the court before you can apply.

Can a residence order be made if my grandchild is in the care of a local authority?

Yes. If a residence order is made in these circumstances the Care Order will be discharged.

How will the court decide whether to make a residence order?

The court will have your grandchild’s interests as its paramount concern in deciding whether or not to make a residence order. It must bear in mind that delay is likely to prejudice the child’s welfare. The court must not make the order unless it considers that making the order is better than making no order at all.

The fact that the order will give you parental responsibility for a grandchild who is living with you may be sufficient to satisfy this requirement. In cases where another party to the proceedings objects to the order being made, the court must have regard to the ‘welfare checklist’ which includes how capable a parent or any other relevant person is of meeting the child’s needs and the child’s wishes and feelings.

How long will the order last?

An order can be made for a specified period, but in any event, it will not continue beyond the child’s 16th birthday unless there are exceptional circumstances. The court has power to discharge the order in 'family proceedings' (a particular kind of court hearing) whenever a question about the child’s welfare arises or in a separate proceedings where an application for discharge is made. The court applies the same welfare criteria as it did when the order was made. A residence order ends automatically if a care order is made.

I am worried about the cost of applying for the order and about the expenses of caring for my grandchild. Can I get help?

You may be able to get financial help to apply for a residence order. Ask your solicitor or Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) if you satisfy the conditions for public funding.

Sadly, if you have put savings aside for your retirement, you may find this prevents you from getting help, but you could carefully consider presenting your own case in court. The primary responsibility for the maintenance of children remains with their parents. However, it is likely that you are caring for your grandchild because your daughter or son is unwell or has disappeared and other avenues of finance need to be explored. You are eligible for child benefit if your grandchild lives with you. You may also be entitled to other benefits or tax credits.

If you have been receiving payments from a local authority because you are a foster carer for your grandchild, you will lose these payments if you are successful in gaining a residence order. You will need to weigh up the financial loss against the additional security that you and your grandchild will experience from the stability afforded by a residence order. Local social service authorities have power to pay allowances to the holders of residence orders.

Unfortunately, whether or not these allowances are paid is at the discretion of the local authority and the amounts that are paid vary. Any amounts paid are unlikely to be as much as you received as a foster carer.

Parental Responsibility.

What do we mean by parental responsibility?

The Children Act 1989 defines parental responsibility as, ‘all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property’.

Broadly this means that a parent with parental responsibility can make decisions about the child’s upbringing and is responsible for the child’s welfare. Sometimes decisions are so important that the law requires both parents with parental responsibility to consent to an action, for example controversial medical decisions. Good practice requires consultation between parents, when possible, even if only one parent has parental responsibility. A parent may not act in a way that is inconsistent with any court order.

The term ‘parental responsibility’ is used to show that parents have rights because they have obligations towards their children.

Who has parental responsibility?

All mothers have parental responsibility for their children. Any father who is, or has been, married to his child’s mother has parental responsibility and, following a change in the law, so does an unmarried father who is registered on his child’s birth certificate after 1 December 2003 (Adoption and Children Act 2002 s.111). Other unmarried fathers and anyone else, including grandparents, may acquire parental responsibility.

How can an unmarried father acquire parental responsibility?

An unmarried father without parental responsibility can acquire this by marrying the mother or by making a parental responsibility agreement with her. The agreement may be achieved more easily while the parents are together but, even if they have separated, the mother may consent to making the agreement. The agreement must be made and recorded in the manner required by regulations. Further information about how to make an agreement can be obtained from any court that deals with family matters, a solicitor. If an unmarried father wishes to obtain parental responsibility and the mother refuses to make an agreement, or her whereabouts are unknown, he should apply to the court for a Parental Responsibility Order.

The child's welfare will be paramount and the court will consider all the circumstances, including the commitment the father has shown the child, the attachment between them and his reasons for seeking the order.

A court must make a parental responsibility order if it makes a Residence Order in favour of the father.

Does a father without parental responsibility have any rights or responsibilities?

Whether or not a father has parental responsibility he has the same liability to support his child financially, the same rules of inheritance apply and he has the same right to apply to the court for a Residence or Contact Order. If his child is looked after by a local authority he has many, but not all, of the same rights as a father with parental responsibility. His agreement to an Adoption Order is not required but the local authority must consult him, even if the mother objects, unless there are exceptional circumstances for not doing so.

Can a parent loose parental responsibility?

A mother or married father will only lose parental responsibility if the child is adopted or freed for adoption. An unmarried father’s parental responsibility can be ended by a court on an application by anyone with parental responsibility or by the child if he or she has the court’s leave (permission) to apply.The child’s welfare will be the court’s paramount consideration. Parental responsibility ends when a child is 18 unless it is ended earlier by a court.

Is it possible for grandparents to have parental responsibility?

Grandparents cannot get a Parental Responsibility Order but if you are bringing up your grandchildren you will have parental responsibility for a child living with you if a court makes a Residence Order in your favour or you are the child's guardians.. A Residence Order says who a child is to live with and gives parental responsibility to the person with the order if he or she does not already have it. If the court does not discharge the order earlier, it will end when the child is 16, unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as the child’s learning disabilities. While a residence order continues you will share parental responsibility with the child’s parent(s).

Are grandparents with a residence order in the same position as parents?

Grandparents with parental responsibility are not in exactly the same position as parents with parental responsibility. One difference that often troubles grandparents is their inability to appoint a guardian to take their place.

Who has parental responsibility for a 'looked after' child?

The Children Act 1989 defines children as ‘looked after’ if they are in the care of, or are provided with accommodation by, a local authority. When a child is in care, the local authority have parental responsibility for the child. Parents keep their parental responsibility too but the authority decide how far they can meet their parental responsibility. Parents may still make a parental responsibility agreement or a father can apply for a Parental Responsibility Order. A local authority that accommodate a child do not have parental responsibility.

Will parental responsibility give grandparents more influence over what happens to a looked after child?

Before making any decisions about a child that they, or intend to look after, a local authority must, so far as is reasonably practicable, find out the wishes and feelings of the child, his or her parents, anyone with parental responsibility and any other person they consider relevant. Your wishes and feelings must be taken into account if you have parental responsibility otherwise it is up to the local authority to decide if they are relevant. If your son is the father of a looked after child your position is the same whether or not your son has parental responsibility.

Will parental responsibility make a difference to grandparents seeking contact with a looked after child?

Where a child is looked after, the local authority must try to promote contact with his or her parents, those with parental responsibility and relatives unless this is not reasonably practicable or not for the child’s welfare. Grandparents can remind local authorities of this provision and the right to family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and press them to comply with their duties. If the child is subject to a Care Order, the local authority must allow the child to have reasonable contact with his or her parents and anyone, including grandparents, who had parental responsibility before the child came into care unless they obtain an order allowing contact to be ended. Grandparents without parental responsibility who are refused contact must apply to the court for leave to apply for a Contact Order if they want contact with a child in care.

Will grandparents with parental responsibility get more support from a local authority?

A local authority has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are ‘in need’. Whether you have parental responsibility or not, if you are bringing up your grandchild you may receive help or services from your local authority if the child is ‘in need’, if for example he or she is disabled. The local authority has a discretion to pay a contribution towards the child’s maintenance if you have a Residence Order. However, the local authority are likely to pay an allowance only if they have looked after the child, or would have to look after the child if you did not do so.

Legal Aid Limit to be announced.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/1631000-asset-limit-on-legal-aid-eligibility-2134204.html

Press Release.

Charlotte Leslie MP meeting some of The Bristol Grandparents Support Group.

(Photo names left to right, Ann ,Daphne ,Charlotte ,Ruth , Mary, Audrey and front row Marc and Jane Jackson.)

On Saturday Nov 13^th Charlotte Leslie MP was invited to meet some of the, ‘The Bristol Grandparents Support Group’ and to listen to the issues that face grandchildren and grandparents who are denied contact with each other.

Spokesperson, Jane Jackson for the group said,

“Over one million children in the UK are affected by being denied contact, the situation that they and grandparents find themselves in can be caused by any of these situations, separation/divorce of their parents/children, alcohol/drug dependency ,domestic violence, bereavement or family feud.

With The Family Justice Review being discussed at the moment with a report due in the Spring, it is vital that the government take this opportunity to address the heartbreaking position we and our grandchildren find themselves in. I believe that when a couple make the decision to split mediation should be a compulsory element and during that mediation legal agreements drawn up concerning contact with firstly non resident parents and then the grandparents and all extended family, if the agreement is not adhered to there must be consequences, at present there is very rarely any redress.

The children must also be involved in this process.

This has never been about Grandparents Rights but the rights of our grandchildren, they have the right to contact with their grandparents and extended family if it is safe for them to do so.

Of course there may well be situations when it is not safe for children to see their grandparents but equally there are some parents who should not have contact with their children , but in both cases that is a very small minority.

To have Charlotte Leslie championing the rights of our grandchildren is most definitely a very big step in the right direction.”

Some of Bristol Grandparents with Charlotte Leslie MP.

We had a great meeting with Charlotte Leslie MP Nov 13th, and it is good to have her championing grandchildren and grandparents who are denied contact.

Many thanks to Charlotte for her time and concern and we look forward to working with her in the future.

2011 Dates

Dates for meetings of The Bristol Grandparents’ Support Group.

2011.

Friday February 4^th at 2pm.

Saturday April 2^nd 7pm.

Friday June 3^rd 2pm

Saturday August 6^th 7pm.

Friday October 7^th 2pm

Saturday December 3^rd 7pm.

Jane Jackson

Bristol Grandparents Support Group.