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Scottish Grandparents Speak Out Our campaign to have ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ to be made mandatory for professionals who work in the welfare of children has taken a huge step closer thanks to Anne McLaughlin MSP of the SNP. At a meeting today with Jimmy Deuchars and June Loudoun, Anne vowed to take up the challenge. Other MSPs have already pledged their support. ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ was created by a Scottish Government to accompany the Family Law Bill (Scotland) 2006 as an advisory document. Hard campaigning by the Grandparents Apart UK group to make it mandatory for professionals could now become a reality. Initially we were campaigning for automatic legal rights of contact for grandparents but that was defeated by a vote in parliament and encountered other opposition from parents groups as it would give grandparents more rights than parents. We have no desire to step on any toes so we listened to the objections and revised our proposition to have the Charter made mandatory for professionals in order that children did not lose out in the loving protection of their grandparents in the absence of their parents. Grandparents should and must be the first point of call in situations like this and should not be regarded as irrelevant persons in their grandchildren’s lives. To ignore this is not in true best interests of the child where every avenue should be open in today drug and alcohol culture. The government says grandparents are very important in children’s lives but social services often ignore them. When Grandparents raise concerns they labeled uncooperative and are told we don’t need to talk to you, you have no rights to the children. Social services only care for the physical needs of children where it is obvious that the criteria cost and cases must be dealt with as quickly and cheaply as possible. What is missed out is the emotional, mental, spiritual needs of a child which they can get from their grandparents. Our group being UK wide also has a petition running in the UK government to have ‘The Charter for Grandchildren’ adopted by them and made mandatory. The Welsh assembly is considering the proposal and has asked for information regarding the charter. Jimmy Deuchars
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