Highland Kinship Care Support Service
The ties that bind families together are strong.
And often, when relatives are aware that a child in the family is at risk of being taken into care, or that their parents are struggling to look after them, they will step in and offer to help.
We believe in trying to keep children with their family when they can be. However, kinship care (care by relatives or family friends) can bring a host of challenges to both the carer and the child.
Many carers are grandparents, who may struggle to cope with boisterous and energetic youngsters or with the very different challenges of living with teenagers. They may have health problems or be living on a pension, and find it difficult to cope with the expense of feeding, clothing and supporting children. Other carers, such as aunts and uncles or family friends may have similar difficulties.
The children themselves will also have to come to terms with this change in their world, and the change in the relationship with, for example, their gran or aunt, who has taken on a full-time parenting role.
In the summer of 2008, we opened our first support service for kinship carers. Based in our family support centre in the Black Isle, the service offers advice, guidance and emotional support to kinship carers and the children and young people who have been placed permanently with a kinship carer under a supervision order.
We offer individual advice and group programmes for carers, and have created created a ‘survival guide' for new kinship carers. A carers support group is also in development.
Extra Information
Referrals to this service are received through the Highland Council. Self referrals are accepted if they meet the council's criteria in terms of being a kinship carer.
