Big Hearts: Shining a spotlight on Kinship Care
This week, Big Hearts is excited to celebrate Kinship Care Week. This is a fantastic opportunity to recognise and celebrate the commitment of kinship carers and the role they play in the lives of children.
Throughout Kinship Care week our charity wants to shine a spotlight on our family-focused programme which has been running at Tynecastle Park over the last 8 years.
Kinship Care is when a child lives full-time with a Grandparent, Great Grandparent, Uncle, Aunt, Sibling, other relative or family friend because they are unable to live with their parents. Kinship Carers provide love and security for children who would otherwise not be cared for within the family.
Since 2015, Big Hearts have:
- Supported over 600 families
- Engaged with over 1,200 young people through free activities
- Increased our offer of services by 600%
A family currently supported by Big Hearts have recently taken on the care of their 10-year-old niece, who has autism. One family member works full-time, whilst the other has an illness which requires assistance with daily activities. As a family, they have all benefitted from the support of the charity.
During the school holidays the child enjoyed attending Big Hearts’ ‘School’s Out!’ holiday programme, socialising with peers and building new friendships. As a young person with autism, routine is a key factor in day-to-day life. By coming to Tynecastle Park each day, they took part in fun activities with the same group of children which allowed them to have a structure to their week and resulted in a smooth transition back to school.
Knowing their niece was happy, safe, and receiving a hot meal each day, allowed the Kinship Carers to enjoy some time to themselves and get practical tasks done around the house. They also didn’t have the financial worry of sourcing groups and activities throughout the school holidays – which can be expensive. They were grateful to see a very happy, but exhausted young person at the end of each day!
Big Hearts offer comprehensive support to address the emotional, practical, and financial challenges faced by young people and their carers.
Kinship Care services on offer:
Family Group – for both children and their carers.
Coffee Morning – for Kinship Carers.
Men Carers Group – for male Kinship Carers and father figures.
That’s Me! – for young people aged 12-18.
Befriending – for young people aged 5-16.
If you, or someone you know, is a Kinship Carer, please complete the form here to receive more information about our Kinship Care programme.
– March 2024