In this episode of Kinship Together, you can listen back to some of the highlights from our previous conversations with kinship carers. In particular, you can hear how kinship peer support groups have such a positive impact on the lives of carers, their families. communities and even society more widely. And then we return to those moments of joy – those special memories – that make all the hard work so worthwhile and rewarding.

In this episode, we chat to Peter and Maxine who've been kinship carers for around eight years and have a special guardianship order, which means they have long-term legal responsibility for the children they care for. They talk about how when they became kinship carers, they quickly found themselves needing to research and gather as much information about the role as possible. Over time, they decided to take everything they learned and use it to help other kinship carers by setting up a kinship peer support group in their local area, which they still run today.

In this episode, we speak to David who's been a kinship carer for around three years. He also helps other kinship carers through Kinship’s volunteer service, Someone Like Me. He shares his experience of talking to other kinship carers and the benefits of knowing that support is available. David also talks about the challenges of becoming a kinship carer in difficult circumstances, and how he’s been able to adjust and provide a safe, caring home to grow up in.