Kinship carers are facing all of the above, plus the added pressure of being a parent to a grandchild or a niece or nephew, which is a vastly different role from being a grandparent, an aunt or an uncle.Although our group recognises the on-going need for respite for both child and carer and the need for continuance of the support group for kinship carers, whether they are formal or informal, our petition asks for kinship carers’ status and the important part that they play in the development and holistic wellbeing of vulnerable children to be acknowledged, and for them to have equity with foster carers throughout Scotland.We want the needs of the child to be put at the centre of any policy so that it is child-centred as opposed to budget driven, and we want entitlements for kinship carers to be clarified, because each Scottish local council interprets the current guidance in different ways.14:45 Kinship carers are like other full-time carers of vulnerable youngsters and we, too, need sickness and emergency cover and a right to time off because we have the responsibility of a parent and work 24/7...