Kinship carers in Cambridgeshire ask for more support

Ms Allen and her partner live in March, and are kinship carers to her nephew, who was 13 when he came to live with them.

He is now 16.

“My sister had cancer and her death was very sudden – there was no time for anything like an SGO,” says the 55-year-old.

The couple brought up their own three children, who had already left home by the time they became parents to her nephew.

“My partner still works so we are not entitled to any benefits and there is no help – other than support groups formed by other kinship carers.

“My sister fostered children so I know the funding and help [foster parents] get, but of course we were never going to put our nephew through the foster system – he has been through more than too much already.

“But we didn’t account for a fourth child, who will soon be going to college.

“My partner really needs to retire because of his health but he can’t do that.

“As kinship carers we feel absolutely abandoned by the system.

“A foster carer receives support and an allowance to raise a child – so why don’t we?”