Ms Bridget Jenkins

Overview

Bridget completed a journalism degree at Macquarie University in 2007, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the University of Sydney in 2008. She is currently working on her PhD under an APAI scholarship funded by the ARC Linkage grant project ‘Grandparents as Primary Carers of their Grandchildren: A National, State and Territory Analysis’. Her thesis is on the effects of family power on Australian grandmothers’ carework, focusing on the family dynamics, patterns of negotiation, and inter-family decision making processes which lead to the provision of extensive care. Her research interests are feminism, care, motherhood and the welfare state. Following the competition of her thesis she hopes to pursue a career in academics.

Research Summary

In the last ten years, there has been a marked increase in the number of children being placed in the care of their grandparents. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the effects and implications of this trend with a view to developing viable social policy to address the gaps in current policy. The methodology will involve a comparative analysis of the relevant policies in Australia and other Western countries. The study will also draw on a number of focus groups involving both Australian grandparents and children, analysing the current gaps in policy regarding financial support, health services, and educational services. The findings from this study will contribute to an SPRC social policy audit, addressing current policy gaps with aim of establishing long-term benefits for both grandparents and children in Australia.