Family Rights Group (FRG) has published the report of its extensive survey of kinship carers. A total of 845 kinship carers, raising at least 1252 children, filled out the survey. Findings include that:

  • Three quarters of kinship carers said they did not have enough information about their legal options when taking on the children to make an informed decision; and are facing financial hardship as a result of doing right by the children.
  • Four in ten kinship carers who have incurred legal costs, for example, to secure a legal order to provide the child with permanence, had to pay the costs entirely themselves. Those carers who paid out their own monies for part or all of the legal costs spent on average £5446.
  • 54% of kinship carers, who had been in work, had to give up their job to take on the child, and a further 24% had to reduce their working hours.
  • 64% of kinship carers rated the help they had received from children’s services as poor or very poor.

 

Further details and a link to ‘The highs and lows of kinship care: analysis of a comprehensive survey of kinship carers 2019’ are on the FRG website >