Over 180,000 British children live in kinship care. These are families in which the child is not cared for by their biological parents, but by someone known to them and their family. The Labour Government have set out clear plans to strengthen this system in order to ensure safer, more comfortable outcomes for some of our most vulnerable children.
Kinship carers were the first group that Children’s Minister Janet Daby met with following the election in July and she, alongside other Ministers and many MPs, have repeatedly shown commitment to this group. The All Party Parliamentary Group is Chaired by Melanie Onn MP, herself kinship experienced, and was formerly Chaired by Public Health Minister Andrew Gwynne MP, himself a kinship carer. The Family Rights Group panel, ‘For the Love of Gran’ at Conference, on which I was asked to speak, included Melanie Onn MP and was chaired by Josh MacAllister MP, author of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care. The event was attended by many MPs and councillors who were keen to learn how we step up support for kinship families.
I ran to be a Labour MP in part because of my experience as a kinship carer, and when I spoke to MPs at conference the work ‘kinship’ guaranteed me an actively listening ear. Kinship carers care for some of society’s most vulnerable children, Children who have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma of all kinds, often with no support or preparation, saving the state uncountable amounts. With record numbers of children in a care system bursting at the seams, more could be living safely with kinship carers. Compared to children in stranger care, children in kinship care are on average physically and mentally healthier, are more likely to be academically successful, more likely to hold down a job and less likely to enter the criminal justice system.
Currently, there is no single definition of kinship care in primary legislation. As a result, we face many challenges including not being recognised in our parenting role by hospital services, schools, or employers. On one occasion, when my nephew was struggling to breathe and I took him to hospital, social workers and the police were called because they didn’t understand why he was living with me. Family Rights Group, a specialist charity, are pressing for a clear legal definition of kinship care to be included in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill. It would cut through the confusion and ensure all kinship carers are visible to the system.
This week the Government appointed the first National Kinship Care Ambassador, Jahnine Davis, who was raised in kinship care. The Ambassador will have a crucial role in encouraging local authorities to improve the support they offer kinship families. Family Rights Group’s research showed over a third of local authorities do not have a local kinship care policy. Their call for a ‘local offer’ for kinship families, akin to that for care leavers, is gaining ground. The Children’s Minister has announced this will be in upcoming government guidance.
Youth unemployment is a stubborn problem in England. Care experienced young people are more likely to ‘not [be] in education, employment or training’ than non-care experienced children. In contrast, children raised in kinship care are more likely to be in education, employment or training than those raised in stranger care. The Skills England Bill should specifically refer to kinship children, highlighting the barriers this specific group of children face to accessing training and securing decent employment, paid at a rate that meets the cost of living in the current moment. Maintaining and expanding a training system that allows different learning styles, is therapeutically aware (this sounds much more difficult than it is, evidence from the National Association of Therapeutic Parenting shows that teacher awareness of a condition like attachment disorder improves children’s performance, the same is likely true of other types of training providers) and sees potential in all our young people, regardless of background will help our trauma experienced young people thrive in the jobs market of the future.
We know that times are difficult and that the financial situation is tough. We also know that this government is committed to opportunity, committed to those most in need and we are looking forward to a Budget and legislative agenda that recognises kinship care. This week is Kinship Care Week, raise this with your MP to keep kinship carers, the thousands of children they support, at the top of the agenda.
If you’re interested in getting involved, please sign Family Rights Group’s petition calling on the UK Government to improve recognition and support for kinship families through new legislation.
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