A Grandmother’s perspective

“My daughter had addiction issues and my grandson wasn’t getting looked after properly. So, I was asked to take him. It was hard because I felt like I had to turn my back on my own child to help my grandchild.

“The early days were really hard and we didn’t get enough support. My own child counted as our first child for child benefit which meant that we only got £13 more a week to start with. We were told to apply for a residency order and after that we were left alone, without anyone checking in. 

“We are so proud of our grandson who is now working and doing really well. He’s got hobbies and friends and we just love him like he was our own.

“Being a kinship carer is worth it but it was hard to begin with and he was an absolute joy to bring up after the initial first few months. 

“My advice to others would be to hang in there as things do get better. Use support groups for advice and support if you can and make sure you get the support you need.”