Children raised by friends or relatives are being ‘pushed into poverty’, says UK charity | Supervisor

Children are “falling into poverty” because they lack the support of carers – relatives or family friends who step in to look after children after a crisis, according to a charity.

Caregivers of relatives, often grandparents, are twice as likely to rely on food banks and are twice as likely to fall behind on their bills as other adults, according to a new report.

Kinship, the charity that supports such carers, also found that the lack of financial, practical and emotional support available meant that one in eight carers felt they might have to give up their caring responsibilities in the next year. That would push up to 18,000 children into an already overwhelmed care system, the charity said.

The report, which surveyed 1,300 carers in England and Wales, comes after the National Fostering Group warned last week that there was a shortage of 12,500 carers across the UK, a rise of 14%.

Foster families, who care for 70,000 children in the UK, receive training, access to support and time off work, as well as allowances averaging around £24,500 per year for each child. In contrast, there are more than 141,000 children in family care in England and Wales, and most of their carers receive little or no financial support and have no right to time off work.

Fiona is 65 years old and started caring for her grandson about six years ago when he was four and a half months old. She had a well-paid job in a local factory in Dorset, which she loved.

Fiona tried working from home but had to quit her job because caring for a toddler was too stressful. She now lives on Universal Credit, uses food banks and doesn’t turn on the heating “unless it’s absolutely necessary”.

Although Fiona said her grandson was “really sweet”, he also behaved in a challenging manner and she had difficulty getting help. “I broke down at school and said, ‘I can’t handle this – this internship will fail if I don’t get help.’ “Suddenly I got a lot of help,” she said. “There should be a level playing field for caregivers.”

63-year-old Rebekah is raising her two grandchildren. Her daughter had an autoimmune disease and died suddenly in January 2020. Although traumatized by her mother’s death, Rebekah said the children were unable to receive therapy.

“We also have major financial problems,” she said. “As I have a special guardianship order there is no other support.”

Many family caregivers feel that they were pressured into becoming a guardian without being told that it would be less supportive than caring.

“I get child benefit, universal credit and my widow’s pension and that’s it,” said Rebekah. “It’s very difficult. We’re fighting for what’s important.”

Lucy Peake, chief executive of Kinship, said: “Children bear the brunt of the lack of support for kinship carers. We all understand the need to financially support children through foster care… But in every schoolyard there are also children who live with grandparents, an older sister or a friendly neighbor because their parents are unable to care for them .

These children should not be forced into poverty just because the person who cared for them already knew them.”

Peake said now was a “pivotal moment” when the new government “could”[tackle] the existing, unfair system…ensuring that every caregiver gets what they need to raise the children in their care.

“Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson told families before the election: ‘Labour will not forget you’. Now is the time to make good on that promise.”

Janet Daby, the minister for children and families, said family carers had not been recognized for “the vital role they play or the challenges they often face – be they financial or emotional”.

She said: “We will drive change across the children’s social care system, prioritizing reform to support related families.”