Kinship carers in Bournemouth say they often feel “invisible”
An event to help ‘kinship carers’ access vital information and support is taking place in Bournemouth
New research has shown there are more than 400 children living in Bournemouth being cared for by relatives or family friends.
The "selfless" people who take on this role, largely to stop children going into care, are known as ‘kinship carers’.
Calls for kinship carers to be more supported are now “louder than ever” as many struggle to access the information, advice and help they desperately need.
Rhiannon Clapperton from the national charity Kinship told us: “A lot of kinship carers feel quite invisible and overlooked because they don't get the same entitlements as foster carers or people who adopt.
“They are driven by love and doing what's right, so they are often left trying to navigate a really challenging system with very little support.”
The charity is holding an information event in Bournemouth today where support workers will explain how carers can access vital information and support for the children they look after.
According to Kinship, four in ten kinship carers rely on foodbanks to get by or, worse yet, skip meals all together to make sure their children can eat.
Rhiannon said: “Kinship carers don't get the same allowances as foster carers and they often don't plan to become a kinship carer, so in many cases they have to reduce their hours at work or leave their job.”
We've heard from, Bournemouth kinship carer, Caroline Knipe who is raising her two grandchildren along with her 53-year-old husband.
She said: “This roadshow will give kinship carers an opportunity to get together with people who are in the same situation.
“It will help carers know that they’re not out there alone because it can be hard, especially if you don’t have the right support.”
Rhiannon added: “A lot of the children being cared for have had a really difficult start in life, so they often have issues with attachment and trauma.
“They might have experienced bereavement or neglect or abuse, and therefore need that support which often falls on the kinship carer to understand what those needs are and help them through it.”
Funded by the Department of Education, the roadshows have been developed with kinship carers for kinship carers, to ensure they provide the right guidance to build confidence so carers can make the best decisions possible for themselves and their families.