When a child cannot live with their parent or parents, they may
become part of a Kinship Family, cared for by a Kinship Carer, a family member
or friend. Sometimes this can work out really well for everyone: the children
are happy and thrive. But sometimes,
sadly, the circumstances which trigger the move for some children may leave the
child vulnerable or even feeling traumatised, struggling to manage amidst so
many changes, loss, muddled feelings, uncertainty and unfamiliarity. And above all, asking the question: "Where do I belong?"



The Kinship
Carer, welcoming the child into their home, will also be making big
adjustments. They may be managing
contact with the child's parents, perhaps dealing with the stress of increased
expenses, maybe finding less time for their own health and wellbeing. Above
all, they'll be trying to enable the child to feel at home or settled into
school. Some Kinship Carers feel
isolated, not knowing where or how to get support.



In Kinship
Caring, Educational Psychologist Dr
Rachael King directly addresses Kinship Carers with warmth, sensitivity, insight and hope gained from many years of
working with vulnerable children, young people, their Carers and parents. She offers a huge number of practical, accessible
and interesting strategies to try together at home and at school. This book also uniquely contains free access
to the Kinship Family App, which has
masses more ideas and is updated whenever Government policy affecting Kinship
Carers changes.



In
partnership, Kinship Carers and educators can enable children in Kinship Care
to feel a deep sense of safety, belonging and welcome, enabling them to thrive
and grow in their new family and at school.