The Relative Experience Project
Are you bringing up
a relative’s child?
Throughout the UK around 200,000
grandparents and other family
members are raising a child because
their parents are unable to care for
them, often because of very difficult
family circumstances.
These grandparents, aunts, uncles
and other relatives – known as ‘kinship
carers’ – often struggle to cope with
very little support and can feel isolated
and alone. But if you are a kinship carer
living in the North East, the Relative
Experience Project is here to help.
Relative Experience Project
We can support kinship carers through
• Providing a befriender to offer
individual support to any kinship
carer. Our team of trained befrienders
are all volunteers, many with
experience of being a kinship carer
themselves. They get to know the
kinship carer and provide a listening
ear and support to kinship carers
over a period of up to several weeks
or months
• Local Support Groups. We support
existing groups and help kinship
carers to set up new groups and
build networks where needed.
Groups meet on a regular basis in
a community venue and provide a
chance for kinship carers and the
children they care for to meet, share
concerns, ideas and have some fun
together
• Signposting to relevant services for
further information and advice
Family and
Childcare Trust
Who we are
The Relative Experience project is run by three well known charities: Grandparents
Plus, Family Lives and the Family and Childcare Trust. It is funded by the Big Lottery
Silver Dreams Fund, which focusses on projects supporting people aged 50 and over.
So if you are a kinship carer and you need support, information or advice, or you just
want someone to talk to – then take the first step and give us a call on 0191 200 5034
Five things you might not know about kinship care
• There are around 200,000 to 300,000 children in kinship care, four
times the number in foster care.
• These children have often experienced the same types of early
difficulties as children in foster care.
• Two thirds of kinship carers are struggling on very low incomes and
over half give up work or reduce their hours when a child moves in.
• Most kinship carers get no support from their local council.
• Almost half of family and friends carers are caring for a child with a
disability or special educational needs.
Relative Experience Project
c/o The Meadows Community Centre, Waterville Road, North Shields NE29 6BA
Tel: 0191 200 5034 ext 213 • Email: [email protected]
Follow our blog: relativeexperience.wordpress.com
Family and
Childcare Trust
Grandparents Plus
www.grandparentsplus.org.uk
Advice Service: 0300 123 7015
Charity no. 1093975
Family Lives
www.familylives.org.uk
Helpline: 0808 800 2222
Charity no. 1077722
Family and Childcare Trust
familyandchildcaretrust.org.uk
Charity no. 1077444