Kinship carers are sleeping on floors, sofas and chairs to keep children out of the care system , new research has revealed.

Nearly one in five of the 2,000 kinship carers surveyed by charity Kinship said that either they or the children in their home is sleeping in unsuitable conditions due to lack of space or support.

Beyond sleeping on chairs, sofas and floors, some are sharing a bed or giving up their own bedroom.

Rebekah, a 63-year-old grandmother from Kent, stepped up to raise her two grandchildren after the death of their mother. She sleeps on the sofa in the lounge next to her seven-year-old granddaughter who sleeps in a large chair. Her adult son and teenage grandson have their own rooms.

She said: “We’ve had to sleep like this for six years as we only have two bedrooms. W

See Full Page