The Nationals Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron, has celebrated the Latrobe Valley’s kinship carer community to mark Kinship Care Week.
At the invitation of Kinship Carers Victoria, Mr Cameron attended the Berry Street Kinship Care Luncheon on Monday, to learn more about the important role kinship carers play in the lives of children and young people.
“The role of kinship carers is a difficult one, particularly given in most cases children are removed from the family home for a variety of reasons,” Mr Cameron said.
“Most kinship carers are grandparents, uncles, aunts or siblings, and they make enormous personal sacrifices to ensure they can provide care for children to prevent them from ending up in foster or residential care.
“The kinship carers I met shared that they receive very little in the way of financial support or reimbursement, and given many kinship carers are pensioners living on limited or no income, this is a huge barrier.
“I also heard that being a kinship care can be a delicate balancing act for both carer and child.
“It is often difficult for grandparents to step into the role of parent because it changes the relationship dynamic, and it can be equally difficult for the child whose grandparents are now their guardian.
“I was inspired by the selflessness of the carers I met with, and I applaud the invaluable role all our kinship carers play in helping children right across the Latrobe Valley.”
