For Immediate Release
November 12, 2008

Barrett calls on McGuinty crew to loosen grip on Grandparent’s pocketbooks

“The least that government could do is extend a helping hand”

Simcoe – It's unfortunate that we have to even consider why this government would pull the rug out from under grandparents attempting to step up to raise their grandchildren according to Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett.

Barrett spoke in the Ontario Legislature last week to the NDP Opposition motion that called on government to, “undo its punitive revisions to the Ministry of Community and Social Services' temporary care assistance directive and support Ontario's grandparents and other temporary caregivers as they seek to work in the best interests of some of Ontario's most vulnerable children.”

“Grandparents in this situation in our society do need a hand up; they need a hand up from this government to ensure that not only their needs but the needs of their grandchildren are being met as well,” Barrett asserted. “It's so concerning when we hear that Mr. McGuinty and the Minister of Community and Social Services have ensured that the only program available to them-again it's a Ministry of Community and Social Services program-the Ontario Works program, that's known as the temporary care assistance provision - has been taken away from them, pulling something like $200 a month from their pockets.”

MPP Barrett went on to point out that those Grandparents who take on parenting responsibilities in these cases have answered the call to help keep their families from falling apart.

“I want to remind the government members opposite that many children are with their grandparents in the first place because their parents have had to deal with perhaps health problems, psychiatric problems, problems with the use or overuse of addictive substances,” stated Barrett. “Many grandparents themselves are …on fixed incomes. They need help. They need help to pay for the costs of raising a child: medication, school activity expenses, sports equipment, oftentimes clothing.”

Following debate, the motion was voted down by the McGuinty Liberal majority members in the house. -30 –
For more information please contact MPP Barrett at
1-800-903-8629

Mr. Toby Barrett: It really is unfortunate that we have to even debate this motion before the Legislature today, and it's unfortunate that we have to even consider why this government would pull the rug out from under the very people who provide the kind of guidance and support for younger generations that's so important in our society, and I'm obviously speaking of Ontario's grandparents. This government has provided a backhanded slap that has taken essential funding from those who give of themselves to look after their beloved grandchildren.

The member from Dufferin-Caledon reminded me, and we all know this situation, that today's US presidential candidate Barack Obama was raised for a number of years by his grandmother. We can all think of people in our home ridings. I think of a couple who became very good friends with my daughter and what they had to put forward, what they had to sacrifice to look after two young girls, their grandchildren. It pretty well eliminates any thought of retirement. You essentially go back to work and you pretty well, I think in the one case, work until the end of your days to support your grandchildren.

Specifically, as we've heard, we' re talking about those grandparents who go above and beyond, stepping up to the plate when their grandchildren, through no fault of their own, are placed in unfortunate circumstances or, at best, unforeseen circumstances. It's clear that the grandparents deserve our support, and I'm not talking about merely supportive words. There's little doubt, as they enter their senior years, they're tasked with covering child rearing costs from already tight retirement budgets. Grandparents in this situation in our society do need a hand up; they need a hand up from this government to ensure that not only their needs but the needs of their grandchildren are being met as well. It's so concerning when we hear that Mr. McGuinty and the Minister of Community and Social Services have ensured that the only program available to them-again it's a Ministry of Community and Social Services program-the Ontario Works program, that's known as the temporary care assistance provision, has been taken away from them, pulling something like $200 a month from their pockets.

In the debate this afternoon, we're speaking probably on behalf of thousands and thousands of grandchildren who have received this kind of upbringing. I want to remind the government members opposite that many children are with their grandparents in the first place because their parents have had to deal with perhaps health problems, psychiatric problems, problems with the use or overuse of addictive substances. Many grandparents themselves are perhaps working poor on fixed incomes. They need help. They need help to pay for the costs of raising a child: medication, school activity expenses, sports equipment, oftentimes clothing.

It's very clear that we all realize in this House that we have government for a reason: to step up in those particular circumstances where it is very much required. Yet this government has taken away that small stipend that would aid in meeting some of the costs to ensure that grandchildren are raised amongst kin in a more stable environment.

I have pointed out that most of the grandparents who have answered the call to help keep their families from falling apart, if you will, have moved past their gainful employment days, and they're often knee-deep in retirement budgets. Some have had to remortgage their homes, cash out their RSPs, to cover the cost of raising children. They really didn't anticipate having to shoulder these kinds of costs.

The least that government could do is extend a helping hand to ensure that these laudable grandparents, people who have my admiration, the admiration of certainly many people in my community, just to ensure that these kinds of families don't fall through the cracks. I think it's very important for everyone here to just remember that the people who do this job are revered in their community, they're embraced by their community, and this government could do no less.