In Tasmania, as in the rest of Australia, a number of grandparents or other relatives are taking on the responsibility of raising their grandchildren or young family members.

Children may come into the care of their grandparents or other relatives in one of three ways:

• through parenting orders issued by the Family Court
• through care and protection orders made in the Children’s Division of the Magistrates Court
• through informal arrangements made with the child’s parents or with the State child protection authorities.

Grandparents and other relatives who become carers may not have had contact with the education system for some time.

Ensuring that a child in your care attends school every day can be stressful, particularly if you are struggling with the unexpected expense and emotional strain of raising children for the second time round.

You may wonder what schooling is like today; how children are taught; how student behaviour is managed; and how a child’s learning and progress is monitored, assessed and reported. You may be faced with school expenses that you may not have planned for, and which are likely to stretch your budget.

The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone.

Make an appointment with the school principal so you can ask questions and discuss any concerns about your child and/or the school environment. Schools are sensitive about the experiences or circumstances that might affect your child’s behaviour, so be assured that all discussions will be treated confidentially.