This paper highlights the experiences of birth mothers who have children placed in kinship care in the UK, focusing on some of the specific challenges they face. For many kinship families, these issues are also felt by the kinship carer. It categorises these challenges under five key themes:
1. The impact of adult relationships on contact between the child and their birth mother
2. Double loss: the impact on the birth mother’s support network
3. The impact of domestic abuse
4. Lack of understanding of kinship care placements
5. Financial barriers to maintaining contact in SGOs
The paper sets out the need to do more to support kinship families - children, kinship carers and birth parents - to ensure children can thrive in safe, stable and loving homes.
