This film captures the troubling experiences of special guardians and the rewards and challenges of bringing up relatives’ children following care proceedings.

In ‘The First Day of Forever’, which has been made in partnership between Centre for Child and Family Justice Research and Lancaster University, leading kinship care charity Grandparents Plus, and CoramBAAF, special guardians speak out about how unsupported and isolated they felt.

Chapters

00:04 – Foreword from Professor Judith Harwin
02:00 – Dr Lucy Peak – Introduction
02:56 – Life before becoming a special guardian
04:05 – The start of the journey
09:01 – Experience with children’s services
13:18 – Experience of court
18:30 – Family relationships and contact
22:53 – Finding the support you need
25:22 – Challenges of being a special guardian
27:34 – Public understanding of special guardianship
29:33 – Financial support
32:45 – Moving forward
37:11 Credits

Credits
With thanks to Tom and Barbara, Gillian, Maxine, Stacy and her twin sister Grace.

Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council

Filmed, edited and directed by Rich Berry
Produced by Catherine Findley

A Reel Things Production
https://www.reelthings.co.uk

Music licensed through soundstripe.com