Rights to Financial Support
The law is clear that parents have a duty and obligation to financially support their children.
If you are caring for someone else's child you are entitled to seek financial support for their care. However the circumstances in which you have become the caregiver has a significant bearing on where and to whom you can turn for financial support.
For most full-time grandparent and whānaucaregivers we work with they have become caregivers because of a family breakdown and the parents are unable to care for them, or as the result of the death of the parents.
But this is not always the case. For some families, arrangements within the family have been made for economic or cultural reasons that the grandparents or someone else in the family will care for the children full-time.
If you are in this situation, the information in our guide on the Unsupported Child Benefit or the foster/whānau caregiver CYF Board payments is unlikely to apply.
You may be entitled to child support from the children's parents and/or eligible for Working for Families tax credits or some other form of income support.
Our support services are available to all full-time grandparent and whānau caregivers irrespective of the reason the children have come into your care.
Please read through our materials and the links to Handbooks and other websites and if you need further help please call us on 0800 GRANDS (0800 472637) or contact Work and Income office or the IRD for advice on your particular situation.If you are a full-time grandparent/whānau caregiver and you do not receive the foster care allowance through Oranga Tamariki please see our section on other financial support.
To find out more about the foster care allowance and support available, please see Oranga Tamariki's website.
Back to Resources