THURROCK MP Jen Craft has welcomed plans to introduce a new allowance for kinship carers, as Thurrock becomes one of the Labour’s seven new “Kinship Zones”.
Kinship carers are adults who step in to provide a loving and supportive home to children in their extended family whose parents are unable to care for them full-time.
From April, grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends who take on this role will be paid an allowance, to help cover the costs of raising a child.
This pilot scheme, which is backed by £126m in Government funding, is set to last three and a half years. In Thurrock, an estimated 340 households could benefit from this additional support.
Currently, kinship carers do not receive consistent financial support, unlike foster carers and adoptive families. This is despite the fact that kinship care is shown to lead to better outcomes than alternative pathways, with a 2021 report by University College London showing lower rates of long term illness and higher rates of employment for adults with a history of kinship care compared to those that grew up in foster or residential care.
Ministers say they are determined to recognise the vital role kinship carers play in the lives of their vulnerable children, offering funding per child equivalent to what foster carers receive.
Jen Craft, Member of Parliament for Thurrock, says:
“It’s much too easy to overlook the hard work and kindness of kinship carers, who quietly take over parenting responsibilities for their loved ones.
“Providing kinship carers with this financial allowance will make a real difference, supporting them in the vital work of raising a child.
“I’m so pleased that Thurrock has been chosen for this pilot scheme, which forms part of Labour’s mission to give every child the best start in life.”
