The NZ Herald has reported that there is an increasing number of grandparents in New Zealand who are taking on full-time caregiving roles. In addition many more have a part time duty to assist parents who are in full time work during school holidays and before and after school for younger children.
The full time care in particular can involve significant financial costs and other pressures and a number of support networks have been created including Grandparents Raising Grandchildren [GRG]. In other situations its been reported that many super-annuitants experience “intensity grandparenting”, where adult children and grandchildren move home due to hosing market pressures or other family crises.