Charter for Grandchildren doesn't go far enough.

Added: (Fri Feb 03 2006)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Press release;- immediate 3rd February 2006

The Scottish “Charter for Grandchildren”

We do not think the charter goes far enough.

In 2005 when we attended the Stakeholders Group on Family Law we asked for a charter for grandparents but were refused point blank. The rights we were looking for are – set out in our “Definitions of Contact” which was praised by MSPs as not asking for too much.

It is a couple of hours visit a month by negotiation, the right to phone calls, send letters, birthday presents Christmas cards, and have the grandchildren know we exist and love them. Above all we want to fill the gap in the law that exists in the protection of children.

The gap is that the child’s best interests are not always being served by Social Services, the courts and professionals across the board. Especially in the home when children can be alienated, abused, used as weapons or blackmail. In the home, where child abuse is on the increase, their rights can be zero. Grandparents without legal rights are not able to protect the children and speak up about abuse without the fear of excommunication from their young lives, if we are not there we cannot help.

In the “Charter for Grandchildren” it is written that children can expect to know their grandparents but how will this be enforced? The rights (which are not legal) go to the children but can you see a young child exercising his/her right and going against the wishes of his/her parents.

Without legislation how do the Executive intend to have the Social Services, courts and other professionals recognise the role grandparents can play in their grandchildren’s lives?

We need the legal right to protect our grandchildren. Without that, the abuse goes on.


Ends

For further information contact;-
Jimmy Deuchars
Grandparents Apart Self Help Groups
0141 882 5658
e-mail james@grandparents.fsnet.co.uk
website;- www.grandparentsapart.co.uk