No easy fix

Baby Carmella has brought April (right) and her mother back together Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

April has been a heroin addict since the age of 15, when her boyfriend who was twice her age got her addicted at the start of their relationship Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

For the last six years April has lived in and out of crack dens, working day and night as a prostitute or stealing off her mother to feed her habit Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

There are 350,000 children in the UK who have parents with serious drug problems. A large number of these children are being bought up by their grandparents, while the other children often end up in the care system Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Jan's daughter, Heidi, is a 39-year-old heroin addict, who was taking heroin when both of her daughters were born. Both children were born addicts Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Jan has paid a price for becoming the girl's main carer and now lives in a Salvation Army council House Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Heidi now lives in Liverpool and is coming to the end of rehab treatment. She now visits her children at her mother's every weekend Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Tia and Lacy with their cat at Jan's house in Wigan Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Lacy, six, with her pet ferret. Grandparents such has Jan often pick up the pieces when families are broken by drug abuse and become the kingship carers with very little support from the social services Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Tia with her dolls in her room. Family care saves the country approximately £4bn pounds a year, but puts grandparents under immense stress. This causes not only emotional and physical exhaustion, but also puts them into financial debt Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson

Lacey, 10, with her grandmother Jan Photograph: Hazel Thompson/Hazel Thompson