The Princess of Wales meets kinship carers and rapper Professor Green’s ‘Nanny Pat’

The Princess of Wales attended a London support group for kinship carers today (Thursday 25 May), organised by national charity Kinship, to hear from kinship families about their experiences of raising the child of a relative or friend, after they could no longer live with their parents.

Her Royal Highness met grandparents, aunts and uncles who have been supported by Kinship, the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales, through peer support groups, one-to-one project workers, a specialist advice service and free training workshops.

Rapper and TV personality, Stephen Manderson, also known as Professor Green, also attended the event near St Pancras, with his grandmother, ‘Nanny Pat’, who raised him. The group discussed their experiences of bringing up a grandchild and what support had been available to them.

There are over 162,000 children being raised in kinship care in England and Wales, more than double the number in foster care.

National charity Kinship offers kinship carers emotional and practical support, helping kinship families provide safe, stable and loving homes for children who might otherwise end up in the care system.

Kinship’s CEO, Dr Lucy Peake said: “Her Royal Highness’ visit shines a spotlight on kinship carers, who, for many years, have felt invisible and forgotten in our communities, but who play a vital role in raising the nation’s children, in loving and stable homes.

“Kinship carers face unique challenges, often welcoming children into their homes with very little notice. As they step up and make huge sacrifices to put the children they love first, it is so important that we give them all the support their families need.

“We are especially thrilled that The Princess was able to attend a Kinship peer support group, as our research shows that peer support groups give kinship carers access to emotional support, practical advice from others and a sense of belonging and community.”

Research shows that kinship care enables children, many of whom have experienced trauma, to develop long-lasting, family relationships, and that well-supported kinship care leads to better outcomes for children compared to those in the care system.

Leading kinship care charity, Kinship, supports more than 10,000 kinship carers in England and Wales each year through free training sessions, peer support groups, an expert advice line and their online information and support hub. For more information or support, visit kinship.org.uk

ENDS

High res images to download here: https://kinship.sharefile.com/d-s7a710145509b41088eba5dc74f40ad70