Supporting Grandcarers: A Hidden but Growing Community Need

Alan Hoffman is President of Grandcarers WA, a Western Australian charity supporting grandparents who are raising their grandchildren full-time.

Under his leadership, Grandcarers WA has strengthened its advocacy efforts to address the significant financial and systemic inequities faced by grandcarer families – many of whom step in during crisis to prevent children entering state care. Alan works closely with government, philanthropic partners, and community organisations to improve policy settings, expand financial assistance, and create better long-term outcomes for vulnerable children.

He is passionate about ensuring that grandparents who selflessly take on the responsibility of raising their grandchildren are recognised, supported, and treated equitably within Western Australia’s child protection and family support systems.

Across Western Australia, thousands of grandparents are raising their grandchildren without financial and systemic support. These families often step in during crisis situations – protecting children from trauma, instability, and entry into state care – yet remain largely invisible in policy and funding frameworks.

This presentation will outline the scale of the issue, the financial and social impact on grandcarer families, and the opportunity for community organisations, philanthropy, and service providers to help bridge the gap. It will also explore practical advocacy pathways and the role Rotary and other civic leaders can play in driving meaningful change for vulnerable children being raised by grandparents.