Family Rights Group | Kinship carers’ Forum

The national cross-party Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care has been holding special discussion meetings for kinship carers, and there’s still time for you to get your voice heard.

If you’re a grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, or a friend caring for a child who isn’t able to live with their parents, the meeting are a chance for MPs on the Taskforce to hear directly from you about your experiences and the challenges you face as a kinship carer, along with your ideas for change. This is a meeting for kinship carers who may be special guardians, friends and family foster carers, have a child arrangements order or no legal order for the child for the child they are caring for.

The aim of the Parliamentary Taskforce on Kinship Care is to raise awareness about, and increase support for, children in kinship care and to highlight the importance of this option for children who cannot live with their parents.

South West
Where? Bristol City Hall, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR
When? 9:45am to 11:30am, Friday 26 April 2019
RSVP to adavies@frg.org.uk
Hosted by Family Rights Group

Midlands
Where? Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB
When? 11am – 1pm, Friday 17 May 2019
Please RSVP to Hana.Begum@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk
Hosted by Birmingham Children’s Trust

You can find out more about the Parliamentary Taskforce on the Family Rights Group website at www.frg.org.uk, on Twitter @KinshipCarePT or on Facebook @KinshipCareTaskforce.

Kinship Care Survey
Also, don’t forget, FRG is conducting a survey on kinship care – you can find it online here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/DRTRXWQ.
If you’re a kinship carer, please do complete the survey and feel free to share this link with any kinship carers you know who you think would be interested in taking part.

My experience with LCC is a distasteful one. 2 adults 6 teenagers 1 child living in a 3 bedroom house. 2 years advocating yet the children still in crammed overcrowded and dangerous conditions but it’s ok for the LCC to refuse to meet the needs of the children. Children in kinship arrangement are hugely marginalised and disadvantaged as as oppose to fostered children. One high service and standard fostered children and foster caters and another for kinship carers and children.

It’s really sad that displaced bereaved children would continue to be impacted negatively as these

Dear Miss Extra1

Thank you for your post, I am sorry to hear about your situation, may I ask for clarity?

You say that the local authority (government) has a Care Order for the children, may I ask if you have attended looked after child review meetings and spoken to the independent reviewing officer responsible for them. Please have a look at our advice sheet about the duties that Children’s Services have to children in their care, you can find it here.

You also say that you have been through the complaints procedures and to the Ombudsman who has not yet responded to you?

Have you considered asking your local Member of Parliament for help?

Please call us on our confidential telephone service on 0808 801 0366, our service is open Monday to Friday (except Bank Holidays) from 9.30am to 3.00pm we will be able to discuss your situation with you.

I hope this information helps.

Best wishes

Suzie