Kinship carers are the grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and family friends who care for children when their parents can’t. At his recent surgery in Langford, Richard had the pleasure to meet a number of Kinship carers from Kinship Carers East Midlands.
Richard Fuller MP said:
Taking on responsibility for the child of a loved one can be a hugely challenging experience: There's the anxiety associated with whatever circumstances mean that the loved one is unable to fully take care of their child. There's the physical demands of bringing up a toddler when many carers are at the stage of life when they should be planning for retirement. There's also the financial commitments that every parent is only too familiar with.
I was surprised to be told that there are more kinship carers in the country than foster parents and yet the financial support that foster parents receive is not available to kinship carers as they are 'family'. The alternative would be for these children to enter the care system which would be both expensive and far less beneficial to the children's development than being brought up in the loving home of a family member.
In December 2023, the Government launched the first ever national kinship care strategy, ‘Championing Kinship Care’. Backed by £20 million to deliver the strategy, the Government has confirmed it will provide an allowance to many kinship carers to match that received by foster carers - currently between £154 and £270 per week, per child. This is being trialled in up to 8 areas of the country and will help ensure that people do not have to choose between becoming a carer and being able to afford to support their families.
Backed by £3.8 million, the Government is also expanding the role of virtual school heads – education champions within local authorities – to cover kinship care. They will ensure that the education of children in kinship care is prioritised so they go on to have bright futures. The Government will also be recruiting the first-ever national kinship care ambassador to advocate for kinship carers and work directly with local authorities to improve services.
Statutory guidance has been issued to local authorities on supporting kinship carers. This makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. It explains that support, including financial support, can be provided under the Children Act 1989. Local authorities should also have clear eligibility criteria in place in relation to the support services they provide.
Local authorities are also required by central government to publish a policy that sets out their approach to promoting and supporting the needs of all children living with kinship carers. The policy should be clear, updated regularly, and made freely and widely available.
If you would like to know more, please visit the kinship website at https://kinship.org.uk/.
