Kinship Care

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What is Kinship Care?

Kinship Care is when a child is looked after by someone who is not their mum or dad. The person could be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older brother or sister, or another adult who knows the child well, like a family friend or neighbour. People who look after a child like this are sometimes called family and friends carers.

There are different kinds of Kinship Care Orders. You can learn more about these at: Types of Kinship Care Orders.

How do I become a Kinship Carer?

Sometimes, Children’s Services might ask you to look after a child who cannot live with their parents because it is not safe for them. Other times, the child’s parents might ask someone in the family or a friend to care for their child if they are ill or having problems. These are called informal arrangements.

What do Kinship Carers need to do?

If you are a Kinship Carer, it is your job to keep the child safe, happy, and cared for. You will help them go to school, make friends, and stay healthy.

It is important to help the child stay in touch with their parents and other family members, if it is safe. This helps the child feel like they belong. You should also think about the child’s family background when making choices for them.

Being a Kinship Carer can be a big change and sometimes it might feel difficult. But looking after a child in this way can also be very special and make a big difference to both your lives.

Living as a Kinship Carer

Support as a Kinship carer

If you are looking after a child, you might have a Kinship Assessment. This is when someone talks to you to see what help you and the child might need. If you apply for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO), you will get a Support Plan. This plan explains what support you will get and is shared with the court. It is a good idea to show this plan to a solicitor (a lawyer), because how you care for the child can change your rights and the money you might get. You can ask your Kinship Social Worker if you can get help to pay for a solicitor.

You can also find out more about the help available: