Grandparenting in Australia: a history (1945-2025)

Australia is an aging society. In families with working parents, elderly grandparents increasingly provide the largest, most frequent, consistent, long-lasting and intimate form of childcare and family support. They have a crucial role to play in the social, economic and psychological wellbeing of families. However, grandparents and the role of grandparenting has a limited focus in current public discourse, and within existing government policy frameworks. Drawing on the historical and current experiences of families and communities, this project will deliver the untold story of how grandparenting in Australia has changed over time, and its impact on our society. Through community dialogues and public events; a digital guide to family history; a podcast on grandparenting; and media and social media outputs; the Australian community and key policy makers will gain critical insights into the role and influence of grandparenting. Access to these resources will help to guide and