Official opening in Magherafelt of caring for Kin and Kinnections Projects

Kinship Care Northern Ireland is opening new premises at Rainey Street in Magherafelt.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Oct 2015, 11:17 BST
Michelle McGrath, from Cookstown (right) chatting with Michelle Dixon and Ali McAllister, from, Kinship Care, at their stand at the Volunteer Recruitment Fair held at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt. INMM4213-105ar.Michelle McGrath, from Cookstown (right) chatting with Michelle Dixon and Ali McAllister, from, Kinship Care, at their stand at the Volunteer Recruitment Fair held at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt. INMM4213-105ar.
Michelle McGrath, from Cookstown (right) chatting with Michelle Dixon and Ali McAllister, from, Kinship Care, at their stand at the Volunteer Recruitment Fair held at Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt. INMM4213-105ar.

The award winning charitable organisation supports children wihout parental care to live safely and securely within their own families and communities.

Kinship care is an arrangement where a child lives with and is cared for by relatives, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and family friends.

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Next Monday, Kinship Care NI is celebrating its official opening in Magherafelt, of two projects, both supported by the Big Lottery Fund. These are the Caring for Kin Project and the Kinnections Project.

The Caring for Kin Project supports grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. As well as providing a free and confidential telephone helpline service on number 0800 022 3129, the Project also provides training and support to kinship carers and runs several ‘Kin Together’ Support Groups in the Antrim, Magherafelt, Cookstown and Draperstown areas.

To date the Project has handled over 900 calls via its telephone helpline and helped and supported 175 kinship carers.

Jacqueline Williamson, Chief Executive of Kinship Care NI said: ‘We are making a huge difference to the lives of kinship carers and the children they care for in areas right across Northern Ireland. Taking on the care of a family or friend’s child is no easy task.

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Many kinship carers struggle with the loss of their jobs, their friends and social networks. That said, children in kinship care are thriving and doing incredibly well and their kinship carers are strong advocates for the children they are caring for. We are extremely grateful to the Big Lottery Fund for all their support and for making kinship carers and the children they care for count in Northern Ireland.