One of the most important jobs a local authority has is taking care of its looked after children and care leavers. The overwhelming majority are in care because of abuse, neglect or family breakdown. For these children to thrive, they need a stable care setting with supportive, nurturing carers.
And that’s why kinship care is so important. Taking a child into care should be a last resort. All opportunities for them to stay with their extended family should be explored first. A grandparent, aunt or uncle, or close family friend, may be best placed to provide what the child needs, whilst keeping them in the family and minimising disruption for the child. Data shows that children have better outcomes with kinship care.
As a local county councillor I have spoken with kinship carers and listened to their experiences. Their willingness and determination to take on one of the hardest tasks there is (raising a child) out of pure love is incredibly moving. They don’t want the child to go into care, they want to keep them within the family. Yet when they step up to the plate, they often feel alone. They don’t get the same support that a foster carer would, making an already difficult situation even harder. This needs to change.
And that’s why I’m delighted to see that the first ever Kinship Care Strategy has now been published, which seeks to ensure carers are recognised and valued for the role they play in raising a child. This new strategy is the start of a new approach that will better support kinship carers.
Backed by £20 million, the Government has confirmed it will provide an allowance to many kinship carers to match that received by foster carers (currently, £154-£270 per week per child). This is being trialled in specific areas of the country helping ensure people aren’t prevented from being a kinship carer because of their finances. It will also ensure that the education of children in kinship care is prioritised so they go on to have bright futures.
In my role on Surrey County Council’s Corporate Parenting Board, I will be asking officers what this new strategy means for Surrey’s kinship carers, and how soon they can expect to see benefits from this new approach.
Lastly, I want to say a massive thank you to all the kinship carers out there who take on this most challenging but rewarding of jobs, truly transforming a child’s life for the better. You are heroes!
England's first ever kinship care strategy launches - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
