Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP has called on the Government to legislate so children raised by their older brothers or sisters get the recognition and help they need.
In Britain it is estimated there are over 45,000 siblings raising their younger brothers and sisters. In some cases this is as a result of parental death, or because of parental imprisonment, mental illness, drug and alcohol misuse or domestic violence – or a combination of these factors.
Many young people are forced to give up work in order to take on the care of their vulnerable younger brothers and sisters. Despite the needs of these children, most are living in severe poverty and do not have a right to practical support, such as bereavement counselling.
Alan Johnson says if the right support was in place, more children could be raised by their siblings or wider family, as an alternative to being in the care system.
Speaking at a fundraising event in aid of the Charity Family Rights Group, he called for legislative changes so that:
- Sibling carers have access to paid leave when they take on care of the children, similar to proposals that the Government is introducing for adopters;
- Local authority support duties that apply to children who are adopted, also apply to children raised by their older brothers and sisters;
- There is exemption from the bedroom tax and benefit cap for sibling carers, many of whom are raising more than one child;
- That children being raised by siblings get the same priority for a school place as a child who has been in the care system;
- Local authorities are required to identify and consider wider family members, including older siblings, as potential suitable carers, in order to avert a child entering the care system.
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