Kinship care

What is kinship care?

Kinship care is any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. This can be a short term, temporary arrangement. Or it may be longer term.

Someone who is raising a child in this way is known as a kinship carer. Kinship carers used to be known as family and friends’ carers.

Who can be a kinship carer?

A kinship carer may be a relative or family friend. Or they may be someone else who has a connection with the child.

Kinship care can involve someone who is a close relative of the child. The law says a kinship carer is a close relative of the child if they are the child’s:

• Grandparent, brother or sister
• Uncle, aunt or step-parent
• Half-brother and or half-sister who share only one parent.

A close relative also includes someone who is related to the child by marriage or civil partnership. For example, a parent’s husband or wife or stepbrothers and stepsisters.

But a kinship care does not have to involve someone who is a close relative. For example, a kinship carer may be:

• A close relative of the child’s half-blood brother or sister
• Someone who was previously the child’s step-parent. It does not matter if the person has, or ever had, parental responsibility for the child
• Someone who used to cohabit with the child’s parent AND had a ‘parent-like’ relationship with the child
• A close friend of the child
• A close friend of the child’s parent
• A close friend of someone who is the child’s close relative. For example a longstanding friend of the child’s grandparent
• Someone else who has a connection with the child. Or used to have a connection with the child. Examples may include a teacher, youth worker, childminder or the child’s former foster carer.

There are different types of kinship care arrangements. A kinship carer may be raising a child under:

• A private family arrangement
• Private fostering 
• A ‘lives with’ child arrangements order 
• A special guardianship order (SGO) 
• Kinship foster care 
• Adoption.

The type of kinship care arrangement affects:

• What practical and financial support is available to the kinship carer and child
• The extent of support likely to be provided to the kinship carer. And to the child
• Who has parental responsibility and can make decisions about the child.

This means it is very important for families to have the right information and advice about kinship care. That includes kinship carers and people who are thinking about becoming kinship carers.