Anne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I rise today to talk about Jan Standen, who is an incredibly deserving recipient of the WA Senior Australian of the Year award. It has been an absolute honour to get to know Jan and the team at Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren WA since I became the member for Cowan. GRGWA, Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren WA, provide emotional and physical support for grandparents who are full-time caregivers to their grandchildren.

Jan joined the group in 2013 when her three grandchildren came to live with her. She knows the day-to-day battles that grandparents experience as primary carers because she has lived them herself. She has driven rapid expansion in membership and outreach and even secured a new premises for the organisation. She connects grandparents to services in the community, and GRGWA now offers free legal and counselling support, food bank pickups, donation distributions and an op shop providing free clothing and toys for those grandparents who are faced with the situation of having to care for their grandchildren through circumstances and often through tragedy. As a fierce advocate, Jan has made a huge difference to their lives. I commend her for her very well-deserved accolade. Good on you, Jan! You deserve to be our WA Senior Australian of the Year.