Serving Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire
© Family & Friends - Kinship Milton Keynes formerly known as Grandparents’ Support Group 2012 - 2022
Past News & Events > Patrick Hall MP for Bedford & Kempston 17th November 2009
Patrick Hall, MP for Bedford & Kempston, very kindly came and met us on 17th November. Patrick listened to our stories and our requests.
This is what our MPs can do for us:
- Raise the issue in parliament about Grandparents supporting their Grandchildren.
- Issue a press release to show they are supporting our campaign on behalf of kinship carers in your constituency.
- Write to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
- Make a freedom of information request to your local authority asking them what support they provide to family and friends carers.
- Ensure your own party prioritises family and friends carers when it writes its manifesto for the next General Election.
We need to work with our MPs so that they can help to support us in Parliament. Please contact your MP to make sure that he or she is doing everything possible to support Grandparents.
On 12th January 2010, Nadine Dorries MP for Mid Bedfordshire will be coming to speak to us.
Did you know?
- There are 200,000 grandparents raising their grandchildren.
- 3 out of 4 families in this situation experience financial hardship.
- Any financial support that grandparents receive from their local authority is discretionary and so often they get nothing at all.
- 8 out of 10 people think family and friends carers should receive financial support.
- The children that grandparents care for have often experienced parental drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, physical abuse, parental imprisonment, mental ill health, the death of a parent or a combination of these factors; yet many receive no help or support.
- Grandparent carers can experience stress and ill health. They may also have to give up work or reduce their paid working hours when they take on the care of a child.