Twins Kai and Danilo* are infectiously funny, brilliantly sassy, and fabulously stylish.
They were born with complex physical and learning challenges to a mother already struggling with addiction, debt and being a single parent to two older boys – and, sadly, all four children ended up in care.
Kai and Danilo’s aunt fought for months until it was agreed she could take care of the twins. Love and commitment were in rich supply, but money was tight, and it took five years for the family of seven to be offered appropriate adapted accommodation.
I have had the privilege of seeing first hand how Kai and Danilo have thrived against all odds. The stability of a loving family, consistent round-the-clock care, and the fierce protection of a devoted aunt have made all the difference.
Without doubt, special guardians are some of the hidden heroes of the care system.
Since I became chair of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board last year, special guardians across the country have consistently raised with me their struggle to get financial support.
For those who did not expect to be bringing up children in their older age, or who had to give up work to care for children who have experienced the trauma of neglect and abuse, there is a serious financial cost that can push people into poverty.
In a survey by the charity Kinship, 74 per cent of kinship carers whose child was subject to a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) felt that the allowance they received did not allow them to meet the needs of the child they cared for.
Working closely with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) and Kinship, we have collated a report (available on Kinship’s website from 4 February) that offers insights into three local authorities that are being particularly ambitious in tackling the financial pressure on special guardians.
“Special guardians are some of the hidden heroes of the care system”
The headline findings show significant benefits to local authorities, families and, most importantly, to children when special guardians receive a non-means tested financial allowance.
These benefits include: fewer special guardianship families living in poverty; less stress on special guardians, allowing them to focus on meeting the often complex needs of the children in their care; and a reduced likelihood of special guardianship family breakdown.
More children were leaving care and moving to SGOs, with more family members likely to come forward in emergencies, thereby preventing children from entering the care system unnecessarily.
There was less cost, bureaucracy and social worker time involved in means testing and reviewing the financial circumstances of families, and more trust built between special guardians and councils – leading to more cooperation, more transparency, earlier support requests, and a reduction in the need for crisis interventions.
Finally, practitioners felt more job satisfaction and were proud of the support they offered special guardians.
Making sure every child in care gets the loving, permanent home they need to flourish requires us to be creative and courageous.
I very much look forward to the positive impact this report will have, not only on the special guardianship system as a whole, but on the lives of children such as Kai and Danilo around the country.
*Not their real names