More must be done to support kinship carers
The vital role of kinship carers has been in the spotlight this week.
MP Munira Wilson led a debate in the House of Commons about the need for additional support for individuals such as grandparents or aunts and uncles who step up to look after a child if their biological parents are unable to.
Ms Wilson said, given the Government was set to respond to the independent review of children’s social care in the next two months, it was a ‘pivotal moment to recognise and unlock the role that family and friends can play in raising children who would otherwise be brought up in care.’
The financial pressures faced by those become kinship carers was highlighted, such as the average of £5,000 for legal costs alone (which around 40% of families do not receive any help with).
It’s estimated to cost £72,500 per year for a local authority to look after a child in care, compared to the £37,000 it would cost to provide a weekly allowance and a social worker for a kinship carer – essentially representing a saving of more than £35,000.
“Despite the fact that we hear all of those statistics, which show better outcomes for children looked after by people who know them, kinship care is the Cinderella service of our social care system. It is less well understood than foster care, despite there being double the number of children in kinship care than there are in foster care. Kinship carers also receive only a fraction of the support received
by foster carers or adoptive parents.
“That is why I introduced my Kinship Care Bill in July, which calls for kinship carers to be provided with three types of support, to put them on a par with the support that foster carers and adoptive carers receive. It proposes that kinship carers are provided with a weekly allowance, at the same level as the allowance for foster carers; it would give kinship carers the right to paid leave when a child starts living with them; and it would provide extra educational support for children in kinship care, by giving them pupil premium funding, and priority for their first choice of school, as which looked-after receive.”
MP Andrew Gwynne, himself a kinship carer alongside his wife for their grandson, called for ‘better access to information, support networks and support services’.
He added: “Make no mistake: empowering kinship care has benefits far beyond improving the lives of children and those who care for them. The charity Kinship estimates that for every reduction of 1,000 in the number of children looked after in local authority care, up to £40 million is saved. Put simply, the moral benefits of supporting kinship care are matched by the economic case for supporting kinship care.”
MP Kelly Tolhurt, the Minister of State for Schools and Childhood, agreed kinship carers played a vital role, adding: “It is clear that more needs to be done to build a system in which every child’s right to a family is safeguarded. We must give all children an opportunity to grow up in a loving kinship home when that is in their best interests and when they cannot be safely looked after by their parents.
“I recognise the strain that kinship families are under, and will continue to work collaboratively with local areas to ensure that children, young people and families have access to the support they need to respond to the cost of living pressures.”
To view a transcription of the debate, click here.
