HELP FOR GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE LEFT TO PICK UP THE PIECES

Jane Rowe, a drug and alcohol counsellor, was no stranger to death. But
when two of her clients died of an overdose on the same night, leaving two
orphaned children, something snapped. She decided to change focus and
concentrate on helping children.

"One of the boys went to live with his grandmother. She had little money
and was ineligible for payments and there was a chance he'd end up in
foster care," Ms Rowe said. "The other child tried to throw himself in with
the coffin and was taken from the funeral by social workers. I lay awake
all night."

From despair sprung the idea of the Mirabel Foundation, dedicated to
helping children orphaned and abandoned by drug-addicted parents.

With contacts in the rock music industry, the help of Triple J and
eventually the Federal Government, Ms Rowe raised enough money to forge
Mirabel into an effective charity. Since it began in 1998, Mirabel has
operated only in Victoria. Next week it will be launched in Sydney.

Grandparents are her particular focus because heroin has called so many out
of retirement to care for their offspring's babies, toddlers and
angst-ridden teens.

In NSW drug and alcohol issues account for 80 per cent of child abuse
reports to the Department of Community Services. And more children are
formally placed in "kinship care" - mostly with grandparents - than foster
care.

"Grandparents suddenly have to be at the creche, feed babies, deal with
bed-wetters. They become isolated and exhausted, and one by one their
friends drop off," Ms Rowe said.

Jean and Ken Purdue, of Tamworth, barely knew their three grandchildren
when they arrived for a week's holiday. Their son was in and out of jail -
and the children's lives - because of drugs. The children's troubled mother
did not want them back. Five years later Kodie, 11, Tara, 10, and Keira, 8
still live with their grandparents, both disability support pensioners.

Because the children were not state wards the Purdues were ineligible for
the state foster care allowance. With only federal family payments to
supplement their pensions, life has been incredibly tough.

"We couldn't get them into sport because we didn't have the money . . . but
line dancing cost only $12 a family, which we could afford," said Mrs
Purdue, 55.

At first the Purdues thought they would not last the distance. Kodie, used
to acting the "mother", resented her role being usurped and Tara was
rebellious. "At our age, you don't like to ask for help," Mrs Purdue said.

A Centrelink officer told the Purdues about Mirabel three years ago. They
rang Melbourne and found it a relief just to talk. Money for school
uniforms followed. Embarrassed, they never called again.

Now they are back in touch, and Mirabel will take care of all school
expenses. Mirabel provides counselling, playgroups, respite and financial
aid but will start slowly in NSW.

"The children tried so hard to make us love them," Mrs Purdue said. "Now we
love them and they love us. Mirabel has answered all our prayers."