The Grandparents Association, in partnership with Alone in London, held a one-day conference on in November 2002 examine whether we as society are making enough use of the resources available in families to prevent homeless.
Both organisations believe that the role of Grandparents could help prevent homelessness amongst young people.

An estimated 65,000 children in the UK are living with their grandparents . The conference provided an opportunity for homeless people, professionals, grandparents and volunteers to consider and discuss some of the issues involved and to hear about the latest research. There are an estimated 8,000 children living in a formal kinship care placements in the UK in March 2001 compared with 6,000 looked after in residential care. The number in formal kinship care with a relative or friend increased by 34% from 1997 to 2001 compared with 15% increase in all foster placements over the same period.

Gaynor Quilter, Director of Alone in London, said:
"We know that just under three quarters of the young people who accessed Alone in London services last year cited family pressure and family breakdown as the reason they had left home or were about to. We also know that just under a quarter of these young people had a previous experience of local authority care. Research has consistently shown that young people who leave care are disproportionately more likely to end up homeless. In these situations we wanted to question whether the support of wider social networks and kinship care, particularly that provided by Grandparents, could reduce the risk of homelessness".
"I always turn to my nan for advice when I can because she's got a lot of kids and grandchildren and has a lot of advice to give out" said a young person using the Alone in London Service.

Professor and director of children & families research at De Montford University, Bob Broad adds 'According to young people in kinship care the advantages include avoiding being looked after by strangers, feeling safe from adults and maintaining links with family, siblings and friends'.

Lynn Chesterman, Director of Grandparents Association, also said:
"We want the conference to raise the importance of a previously neglected issue. Kinship does count and can often be a resource to prevent, rather than a solution to cure a crisis once one has occurred".

The outcomes from the conference are to be compiled and circulated to interest groups. Alone in London and the Grandparents association have both made commitments to incorporate more, the opportunities that are presented by grandparents helping out in certain situations of family difficulty that might otherwise see a young person runaway from home.

For more information email enquiries@als.org.uk