Kinship carer for 2 nieces

kezgray87

Hello. I am a kinship carer for my 2 nieces. (Age 6 and 7) youngest diagnosed autism, eldest diagnosed ADHD. 5 and half years of no support, help or assistance from anyone. They're beautiful children but hard work. And especially as a single person I find no time to enjoy the things I used to. I found out about this charity from a person in the local leisure centre spreading information. I'm looking for like minded people and some support with both my children to cope and deal with the daily life struggles. 

JennysDad

Hello @kezgray87 and a warm welcome to the community. I am sorry we've not been able to respond sooner, and sorry that you have been facing such an uphill struggle alone. I hope people here will be able to lift a little of the weight off your shoulders.
Your post has clearly been moved to the Parents and carers forum, which is the best place for it, and I'm hoping other members with relevant experience will get in touch with you soon.
There's not a lot that I can offer you myself at this point, but I'm here and perfectly willing to listen if it would help at all to chat.
I DO have some experience of youngsters with autism, having worked for about ten years up to my retirement as a learning support assistant in a high school. Education, and the failure of our education system, are very important to me. Much of my work was in designing educational resources, having quickly realised that our children need 'different' ways of teaching.
So I am here if I can be of any use. Please don't hesitate to be in touch.
Warmest best wishes,
Richard
@JennysDad

BenefitsTrainingCo

kezgray87,

I don't know if benefits advice is something you're looking for, but have you thought about applying for DLA for either of the children, if you haven't already got it? You might also want to get in touch with Contact. They support families with disabled children, and might have a local group near you.

https://contact.org.uk/

Will

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @kezgray87, welcome to the community! It's great to have you here, and I really hope you meet some likeminded community members. 

I see that you've had some great advice already, but wanted to ask: are you receiving any support as a carer? It may also be worth getting in touch with Carers UK to see if they can further advise: it's so important to look after yourself too.