A significant majority of children being raised by kinship carers are struggling to access vital mental health support, a new poll reveals.

Kinship carers – often grandparents, aunts, uncles, or close family friends – step in when parents are unable to provide care.

A survey of 1,036 such carers by the charity Kinship found that 60.1% reported their children are not receiving the mental health assistance needed to address their trauma.

Without tailored support, these families face a “real risk” of breakdown, potentially pushing more vulnerable children into the formal care system, according to the carers.

The charity’s annual poll, which surveyed 1,929 carers, also highlighted a sharp rise in difficulties managing children’s challenging behaviour, jumping from 52% in 2022 to 66% this year.

Some 13% of respondents expressed doubts about their ability to continue providing care for these youngsters.

Almost three-quarters (71%) of these carers attributed these struggles to the complex social, emotional, and mental health needs of the children in their care.

Lucy Peake, chief executive of Kinship, said: “Our latest evidence shows that the current mental health support for kinship children who have suffered high levels of trauma is not working.

“Kinship carers keep thousands of kinship children safe within loving families, but they can’t make their pain vanish.

“Day in day out they tell us that without the right tailored support kinship children urgently need, there’s a real risk that their families could break down, pushing children unnecessarily into the care system.”

Earlier this year, the Government launched a consultation on plans to reform mental health support for adoptive and eligible kinship families.

This includes changes to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF), which aims to support therapeutic needs for children.

However, Kinship said the consultation, which closed on May 5, does not go far enough to address the needs of kinship families.

The charity’s survey found just 11% of eligible kinship families are receiving ASGSF-funded therapy compared to 50% of adoptive families.

Ms Peake added: “It’s crucial the Government takes this opportunity to provide kinship children with the specialist support they need to meet their needs, with access to therapeutic support for all children in kinship care. The futures of thousands of children are depending upon it.”

The survey comes after the Government launched a pilot scheme to pay kinship carers in seven areas of the country known as Kinship Zones.

They are Bexley in Greater London, Bolton in the North West, Newcastle in the North East, North East Lincolnshire in the East Midlands, Medway in the South East, Thurrock in the East of England and Wiltshire in the South West.

The Department for Education estimates that around 5,000 youngsters and their families could benefit from the £126 million investment.