CARERS who look after children in Redditch will soon have the support of a new group.

Kinship Carers UK will run the group on the second Monday of every month at Woodlands Family Centre, Longdon Close, in Woodrow.

The charity champions the vital role of kinship carers when they take on the challenging role of permanently parenting someone else’s child.

Set up in 2011 by local carer Enza Smith, the charity was launched after Mrs Smith found herself in the isolated position of bringing up her daughter’s two small children, with none of the support available had she fostered or adopted.

She said: “There are around 200,000 children living with kinship carers and we recognise that these families do not have the support or rights they need, despite the children and young people often having been through similar traumas to those that are fostered or adopted.

“However the legal status and support for kinship carers lags far behind foster parents and adoptive parents. While children who go through fostering or adoption are often given fast-tracked help with mental health problems, for example, this does not apply to children taken into the care of relatives for the same reasons of neglect. This can mean waiting years to help children with serious attachment issues or in cases we know of not getting any or very little help at all.

Kinship Carers UK is currently working to highlight the legal rights of both carers and children.

The charity is also working with The University of Worcester on developing the UK’s first kinship programmes for both kinship carers and children.

Mrs Smith added: “We are absolutely delighted to be launching a new support group, which will offer knowledge, experience and friendship to our Redditch kinship carers, who – like other carers – can feel very isolated.

“Sadly, for many reasons, some children cannot live with their natural parents. Perhaps parents have died or are unable or unsuitable to care for them. In such circumstances, grandparents, relatives and friends can be asked by social services to care for such children rather than having them placed with foster carers.

“Decisions to look after a child in these circumstances are often made at short notice, but such decisions are often life-changing, for carers and children. It can be a lonely and scary process which is completely unexpected and unprepared for.”

For more information on the group, call 07714 531802.