Kinship carer to her two grandchildren

I became a kinship carer to my two grandchildren when their mum passed away in June 2025. Becoming a kinship carer is like being thrown in at the deep end. You have to deal with so many complex things on your own, like applying for an SGO at the courts, navigating the school system, or finding out what financial support is available to you. You’re forced to learn to swim immediately. At the time I was so stressed and I didn’t know who to turn to for help.

In May 2026 I learned from the local authority that I could attend a Kinship Roadshow in Hackney. I was so nervous ahead of going along. I didn’t know what to expect. However, when I turned up everybody made me feel so welcome. I immediately relaxed. The room was full of other kinship carers just like me. I even recognised a few people from the local area, like Maxine who works in the Peer Support team at Kinship. It was brilliant listening to the talks and hearing everybody share their experiences. It opened me up knowing that their stories were just like mine.

I kept in contact with Maxine and she invited me to the Kinship peer support group in Tottenham. Namita leads the group as well as the WhatsApp group. Whenever I need to I can pop a question into the chat and know that somebody will be able to answer and help me. The group also updates me about what workshops I can attend. I’ve learned so much.

I don’t know where I would be without the Roadshow, the workshops and the group. Everything was so nerve-wracking before when I was doing this journey alone. Now I know I have people around me, like Maxine, Namita and the other kinship carers, who have already done a lot of their journey. They are so encouraging and tell me that I’m doing a good job.

The whole family was shocked and traumatised by the passing of my daughter. We struggled to comfort each other because of the pain. I felt so alone. Finding Kinship has in a way put us back together as a family. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted because I am able to chat to people who understand. This has meant that I can now talk about the past and feelings with my girls. I feel like I can actually breathe.

The group has also pushed me to focus on my own needs. They’ve encouraged me to pursue one of my passions which is arts and crafts. I’ve been working on some jobs over the summer all because they believed in me. I now feel so much less stressed and ready to take on anything.