Kinship pilot helping 450 children, council says

More than 450 children are benefiting from financial support through a kinship trial, North East Lincolnshire Council has said.

Kinship care involves children being looked after by relatives or friends to keep them out of the care system.

Kerry, who cares for two grandchildren, said: "It's been tricky to say the least, I've had to give up work. You have to navigate all the things you thought you'd left behind."

Josh MacAlister, minister for children and families, met carers in Cleethorpes for National Kinship Carers Week. He said: "Kinship carers step up every day so that children can grow up in loving family homes with networks of people they know. That's why we are giving them this support."

North East Lincolnshire is one of seven government pilot zones where additional support is being given to carers and families.

MacAlister announced £126m for the scheme, which will run for three and a half years, in February.

Carers in the zones can apply for a time-limited financial allowance for each child they care for, equivalent to the national minimum fostering allowances.

However, national charity Kinship has previously cautioned that the pilot only covers a small fraction of children in kinship care and more support is needed.

North East Lincolnshire Council said it had approved 328 applications for financial allowances, benefiting more than 450 children.

Prior to the scheme, at least 74 of the carers were not receiving financial support.

Steph, a carer for two grandchildren, said they had been supported by staff at the council, adding: "We can't thank them enough."

Josh McDonald, who triumphed on the BBC's Gladiators show earlier this year and is a kinship ambassador, joined MacAlister for an event with carers at Blundell Park, the home of Grimsby Town FC, on Thursday.

He said his life "changed instantly" when he began caring for a younger brother following the death of his mother.

"I know first-hand how confusing and challenging being a kinship carer can be and the huge sacrifices you have to make," he added.

"I did it in a heartbeat because I love my brother and wouldn't have it any other way."

Melanie Onn, the MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, also attended the event.

She said: "I was brought up in kinship care by my great aunt and I was always struck that she got no support whatsoever.

"I know just how many families are in that situation and for too long they haven't had any support".

When the pilot scheme was launched earlier this year, the Kinship charity said it would build evidence for a further roll-out, but the pace of change remained far too slow.

Speaking in February, chief executive Lucy Peake urged other local authorities not to wait until the end of the pilot, but instead "follow the lead of the small number of areas already seeing the benefits of equal allowances to families and their budgets".

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