Sussex kinship carer joins calls for vital support
A charity is warning they could give up their roles due to rising costs
Last updated 12th Feb 2025
Carers who act as a foster parent for a friend or relatives child - including in Sussex - may have to give them up over childcare costs, a charity's warning.
One in eight kinship carers will have to consider stopping care completely, says Kinship, as a march to the Treasury is staged to urge the government's spending review to include financial support for carers.
They'll be demonstrating with trolleys and a shopping list detailing the costs of care, in hopes to gain funding for the likes of school uniform, clothing, food and heating bills.
Wendy, from East Sussex, is kinship carer for her two grandchildren.
She first took on her grandson eighteen years ago, when she was told to stop work:
"You've gone from an older couple who have got no responsibilities but two incomes and living a really good life, to then surviving on one income, but with the addition of a small child.
"And you know, you're back into nappies and specialised feeding, getting this little one fully weaned and then you've got to go to nursery with them and take them to play groups.
"It's a whole new ball game. It's like being a parent all over again."
Dr Lucy Peake, Kinship's chief executive, said "urgent support" is needed:
"It's time to take notice of the commitment and collective sacrifices kinship carers make to raise children against all odds, so that they can keep them in a family home and out of the care system".
The charity added that kinship carers in England are contributing more than £4.3 billion a year to the economy which it suggests is what it would cost the state if these children were in foster care.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We have inherited a children's social care system in need of wholesale reform - and kinship care has been overlooked for too long.
"We are determined to change that and have already announced £40m to trial a financial allowance for kinship carers in 10 local authorities and are introducing a new law to make sure councils set out clear support for local carers - breaking down barriers to opportunity for children across the country as part of our Plan for Change."