Kinship care – The Future

In my lifetime I hope I see some changes to Kinship care. Not just from a legislation standpoint, but a better understanding in society. Part of the problem is in comparison to the term “foster care”, most people have never heard of “kinship care”. Our exposure is low in society and it shows.

But why is exposure low? Part of the problem I see is that Kinship carers are quite cautious about what they share with others. Most Kinship carers are caring for very vulnerable children. We cannot speak in a way we would like to, as we have a fear of it going wrong. There is also the risk of abuse from birth parents, as their opinion on placement often differs from ours. We have disputes over contact, and what’s best for the child in some cases. This makes it harder to speak out about the challenges we face.

It’s not just us, who feel we aren’t sharing. Our Kinship children rarely get the chance to either. They feel indifferent to their peers and often will lie in an attempt to blend in. Their diverse family is often met with teasing, and hard questions. No Child can answer why their parents aren’t around and they shouldn’t have to.

Where does the issue start then? Well for me I think mental health is a big one. I have seen individuals needing help urgently to be told there isn’t space or room. Instead they are placed into a very long waiting list. Covid hasn’t helped our mental health either, adjusting to a “new normal” to then go back to “normal” has been hard for most people I know. Even children have been impacted and we are seeing a clear rise in poor mental health across all ages.

What needs to change? Well in an ideal world no waiting lists, but that isn’t always practical. Instead of being told there isn’t room maybe referrals could be made to community outreach programs. So people struggling get some kind of support sooner. These programs are also on the decline, which means more families are finding themselves with referrals to social care much sooner. The average social worker is caring for more children than they should be.

I’ve talked about prevention, So what does kinship care need?

• Clear legislation and policies so everyone receives the same help.
• Scrap looked after/informal arrangement. Means-tested budget for all regardless of status.
• Links to furniture and children’s charities to help provide what the children need. Especially in the interim of placement, as many carers have no belongings for the child. Families to list the things the child needs urgently.
• Awareness in schools – staff educated on “attachment disorders” and how to manage a child with RAD. Children be taught about Kinship care and read books from a young age to help aid understanding from their peers.
• Kinship carers assigned to support groups online/in person from the interim.
• Better advice on managing contact and the legal aspects of Kinship care.

If you have any more ideas please share them below.