Springwood Neighbourhood Centre Co-operative Ltd

'Kinship care' (or 'relative care') refers to situations where family members are caring for a relative's child on a full-time basis. This may be due to parental death, disability, imprisonment, or other life problems such as drug addiction. Kinship carers may parent under a 'formal' arrangement where their parental responsibility is recognised by the courts, or through an 'informal' arrangement. Kinship carers are usually grandparents, but may also be aunts and uncles or other relatives.

The Kinship Care Regional Project was developed in response to the increasing demand for support services and access to information for such families living in the Blue Mountains, Penrith and Hawkesbury areas. The project aims to:

• Initiate advocacy for relative carers at a local, state and federal level
• Provide accessible and relevant information and resources to relative carers
• Develop and assist relative carer support groups
• Run 'KAOS', a social and recreational program for teenagers living in kinship care

Resource Kit for Relative Carers
Part of the project saw the development of a Resource Kit for Relative Carers which provides information such as how to access financial assistance and what legal issues can arise for relative carers. The kit also includes a collection of stories by relative carers which reveal the complex challenges some families face. In 2011 the kit will be revised to reflect recent changes to supports for kinship carers.

The kit is available for download (see below) or by calling the centre on 4751 3033 (A single copy is free, multiple copies may incur a postage and handling fee.

Support groups
The project assists the development of support groups operating in the Blue Mountains, St Marys, Hawkesbury and surrounding areas. For further information contact Tina Napier, Kinship Care Project worker, on 02 4751 3033, or on kinshipcare@sncc.org.au.