Women LeadersWomen Leaders                          

      

 

Winner of the 2006 

CLW Achievement Award for Women 

HÉLÈNE GONSKI

 

 

 

 

 

"I sowed the seed for the grandparenting project after my first book Grandparenting A new Challenge which was published in 1994.

I approached Lewis Kaplan at The Council of the Ageing (COTA). He was most enthusiastic and we launched Grandparenting N.S.W. in 1998.  We formed a committee and divided grandparenting into four facets:

  • Everyday Grandparents 
  • Grandparents denied Access 
  • Grandparents as Carers 
  • Grandfriends

This project ran in this form under COTA until beginning of 2005 .Then other states took up the ideas.

At present Grandparents as Carers continues under COTA  and gets government funding.  The other facets are run by individuals.

I wrote A Gong for Grandfathers in 2005 hoping to highlight the work of grandfathers as so much has been written about grandmothers.

 

I see a huge need to keep the idea of grandparenting in the public eye as grandparents are doing a huge job for families. This is often overlooked and undervalued."

Hélène Gonski Back to CLW Award Index