Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
9%
2 of 22 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
69/100
BBC News's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Other
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
- Published
A pensioner who became a kinship carer to prevent her two great-granddaughters from going into care says she knew she had to do it despite criticism from some friends.
asserted
she → publish → friends
Valerie, 74, took responsibility for the girls when her daughter, who had been looking after them after their own parents were unable to, died suddenly.
asserted
parents → take → them
She has been supported by Somerset Council's kinship team and said she chose to speak out during Kinship Care Week, running until Sunday, to highlight the important but often invisible role kinship carers play in our communities.
asserted
carers → support → communities
"My girls needed me.
asserted
girls → need → me
They've saved me as well as me helping them," she said.
asserted
she → save → them
More from Somerset
Valerie said overnight she found herself not only mourning the loss of her daughter but also becoming the girls' primary carer.
asserted
herself → say → daughter
Alongside supporting the children through their loss, she was faced with practical worries about finances and managing a household she had not previously been responsible for running.
asserted
she → support → household
Valerie admits that returning to parenting in her seventies has been a "challenge".
asserted
returning → admit → seventies
"I was scared because I didn't know what the future would hold," she said.
asserted
she → know → what
"I'm not young by any means, and I was there signing to keep the girls safe until they're 18.
asserted
they → sign → girls
She told BBC Somerset she had also lost two good friends since becoming a kinship carer.
asserted
she → tell → friends
"They said I was selfish taking them on, that I should let them be adopted to younger parents," she said.
asserted
she → say → parents
"I can understand that for some children that might be better going to a younger family maybe.
uncertain
that → understand → family
In my case, I knew my girls extremely well.
asserted
I → know → girls
I knew my health was reasonably good.
asserted
health → know → ?
I've got a lot of energy, and I love my girls tremendously."
asserted
I → get → girls
'Incredible sacrifice'
She said her case worker in the kinship team, Charlotte Stiles, has been "amazingly supportive".
asserted
worker → say → team
The council supports kinship families across the county and works with carers to help children remain safely connected to their family network wherever possible.
asserted
children → support → network
"Charlotte is there at the end of a phone, she's come to school meetings with me, she's offered me advice, she points me in the right direction," Valerie said.
asserted
Valerie → come → direction
"Charlotte has made the last few years much, much easier."
asserted
years → make → ?
Stiles said she was "blown away" by Valerie's commitment to the girls.
asserted
she → say → girls
"I thought how incredible - she sacrificed her dream of retirement to make sure these girls have the best life they possibly could," she said.
uncertain
she → think → life
The Aporia
