Kinship care charity Grandparents Plus has today warned that kinship carers – family and friends who are raising 200,000 children in the UK because their parents cannot look after them – are being left without the support and advice they need. This, when compounded by the current Covid crisis, could increase the likelihood of children going into care.

The stark warning comes as the charity releases the results of its annual survey of kinship carers to coincide with Kinship Care Week (5-11 October).

The survey found that a huge majority of kinship carers (82%) feel they lack the support and information they need from local authorities, with many carers raising children who have suffered trauma and 30% having additional needs.

In addition, the survey also revealed that 70% of respondents found parenting as a kinship carer during the Covid-19 pandemic difficult or very difficult, with half saying their children had also struggled. Previous worries have been exacerbated by the pandemic, with kinship carers particularly concerned about money (31%), feeling alone (32%), limited resources and space (23%) and children’s behaviour (26%). 24% are worried they will be unable to cope with a second lockdown.

The lack of local authority support and information has meant that kinship carers are turning to family (64%), friends (50%) schools (33%) and charities, such as Grandparents Plus (30%), for help and advice.

Grandparents Plus Chief Executive Dr Lucy Peake said:

“Kinship carers step in to care for children in times of crisis in order to keep them out of the care system. Yet the vast majority report they are doing it without enough support.

“We know that most kinship carers are grandparents, and many are vulnerable to Covid due to their age and health. Now, more than ever, we need to recognise and support them. If we don’t, there is a real risk that they won’t be able to cope and more children will enter the care system.”

“Kinship carers are being badly let down and a step change in approach is needed. All kinship carers need access to support, and this must be backed by legislation and funding.”