Kinship care begins in crisis. A child whose parents are unable to care for them, for whatever reason. It’s frightening, confusing and heart-breaking.
Instinctively, a loved one steps in – a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or family friend. They are now a kinship carer, bringing up the children they love. There’s no chance to prepare. Plans are pushed aside. Relationships, jobs and savings are sacrificed.
It’s life changing and challenging raising children who’ve been hurt or neglected, but kinship carers do it anyway because they put the children first.
Kinship families raising over 200,000 children are on the brink of going under because there’s no recognition or support. They feel invisible. They are desperate, but they are fighting.
We know how hard life can be for kinship carers. But we’ve seen the amazing things they’re capable of with someone by their side. With the right support, children raised in kinship families flourish.
That’s why we support, connect and campaign. To keep kinship families stronger by keeping them together.
