Kinship Carers Are Raising Our Children—It’s Time We Raised Our Support

As the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, I want to shine a light on some of the unsung heroes in our communities—kinship carers. 

Kinship carers are grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and family friends who step up when a child’s parents can’t look after them. They give children stability, love, and the chance to stay within their family network instead of going into the care system.

But despite the vital role they play, kinship carers get very little support. Unlike foster carers, who receive financial help from the government, many kinship carers are left to cover the costs of raising a child on their own. That’s just not fair. It leaves many struggling to make ends meet, and in some cases, it even forces carers to make the heartbreaking decision that they can’t continue.

A recent report from the charity Kinship paints a stark picture. It found that kinship families are twice as likely as others to need food banks and four times as likely to fall behind on bills. Even more worrying, one in eight kinship carers fears they might have to stop caring within the next year—potentially pushing thousands more children into the already stretched care system.

Here in West Sussex, we’re lucky to have a Kinship Support Team that offers advice and support. But good will and community efforts aren’t enough—we need real change.

That’s why last week, I joined kinship carers outside the Treasury in Westminster to demand proper financial support. It was inspiring to hear stories of love, sacrifice, and resilience. However I also learnt more about the struggle with families taking on the responsibility of raising children but being left without the help they need.

The Liberal Democrats have long pushed for kinship carers to receive the same financial support as foster carers. It’s not just about fairness—it’s about doing what’s right for children. Keeping them with family is almost always the best option, and no child should lose that opportunity because of money.

The government must step up. We need urgent action to support kinship carers properly. If we truly care about giving every child the best start in life, this has to be a priority.