Kinship carers 'cutting back at Christmas' amid money worries

Dawn and Gary care for their grandson, six-year-old Leyton

Kinship carers providing homes to children in their extended family warn they are being forced to make cutbacks this Christmas amid the cost-of-living crisis and a lack of government help.

Gary and Dawn, from North Tyneside, look after their grandson Leyton but say money worries mean they cannot afford things such as a visit to a pantomime.

They are calling for an allowance like the one paid to foster carers.

The government announced on Thursday it would launch a pilot scheme with payments in eight yet-to-be announced council areas next year as part of its first National Kinship Care Strategy.

Foster carers currently receive an allowance between £154-£270 per week, per child, whereas Gary and Dawn receive some means-tested help from North Tyneside Council.

They say their situation has been made even more difficult as Gary has been made redundant from his job as an education welfare officer.

Dawn said: "We normally go to the pantomime in the middle of December or in January when it’s cheaper.

"But this year prices of tickets for a family of six are horrendous."

Gary added: "I think every kinship carer in the country would love it if the government said, 'here is some money to support you'.

"We technically help the government by saving them millions a year in funding kids if they were in foster care."

'Wake up stressed'

National charity Kinship says there are more than 180,000 children in kinship care across the UK.

Its chief executive officer, Dr Lucy Peake, welcomed the launch of the government's strategy but said she believed it did not go far enough.

"Too many kinship carers living outside of these pilot areas or ineligible to participate will continue to wake up each morning with the stress of wondering how they can continue to afford to keep providing a safe and loving home for their child."

The government said its strategy would see £20m invested into kinship care in the 2024-25 financial year.

Speaking at a launch event in Luton on Thursday, children and families minister David Johnston said the plan aimed to provide additional support in schools to ensure children were recognised as living in kinship families.

He described it as the "first big step to putting kinship carers on a par with people who adopt and foster".