A kinship carer is a family member or friend who raises children who are not able to live with their parents. Children raised by kinship carers feel loved and secure. But many kinship carers live in impoverished circumstances, and this can impact on support for the children:

• 3 out 4 of kinship carers experience severe financial hardship.
• 49% of kinship carers had to give up work permanently to raise the children.
• 8 out 10 people agree that kinship carers should receive financial support.
• Many kinship carers face crippling legal costs to secure the child’s future.

More recognition and better support for kinship carers

We want to build a better picture of how the current system is working (and not working) and what changes would make the most difference.

We need more evidence on the challenges kinship families face. In particular, around access to financial support, and help with work including employment leave, welfare benefits and jobcentres.

We know some families, particularly those receiving disability related benefits, can find local authority allowances for kinship carers curtailed. The welfare system is also not set up to support kinship care arrangements.

Do you have 15 minutes to complete our survey about kinship care and family finances?

Your feedback and experiences will help to inform our policy and campaigning activities with and on behalf of families. It will help us to hit the ground running after the election.

This survey is open to all relatives and friends raising children. We would particularly like to hear from families who are raising children who have disabilities, or where the carer or someone else in their household has a disability.

If you work with kinship carers, please pass the survey on to them!

Thank you so much! Your survey response helps us to make sure that we are campaigning on the issues that matter to you and gives us the evidence we need to back up our campaigns.