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Grandparents In Malta Should Be Paid By State For Looking After Grandkids, Equality Junior Minister Proposes

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Grandparents should receive some kind of state funding to compensate them for looking after their grandchildren, Parliamentary Secretary for Equality Rebecca Buttigieg proposed.

In a speech in Parliament, Buttigieg said that modern life has become so hectic and fast-paced that grandparents have taken on a crucial role in child-raising.

“I knocked on many doors in recent months and many parents told me that while they were pleased with schemes like free childcare, free school transport and the scrapping of exam fees, the support offered by grandparents has become crucial in this day and age,” she said.

“Grandparents are helping many parents continue with their career by looking after their children in those hours when they aren’t at school or childcare. They take their grandchildren to Doctrine, football and dance lessons, and they use their pensions to buy food and games for their grandchildren as well as on fuel to drive them around.”

“I believe they are providing a service that must be recognised by the state and the time has come to think about whether an annual bonus should be given to the grandparents, as well as other family carers like aunts, as compensation for their costs but more so as a thank you for their service.”

“Grandparents have become more important than ever before in terms of child-raising, not to mention the love they pass on to their grandchildren, and they provide an indispensable service to society.”

Cover photo: Rebecca Buttigieg with an elderly couple during a recent house visit (Photo: Facebook) 

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Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]

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