Refugee children from Ukraine – kinship care guide

There are increasing numbers of refugee children in England who have fled the war in Ukraine and are being raised by kinship carers. Kinship care involves a child, temporarily or permanently being raised by a relative or a friend of the family or connected person who is not their parent.

Such arrangements may have arisen in a number of different ways, including situations where the child left Ukraine with their relative, or travelled alone and arrived in the UK to live in safety with a relative resident in this country. Or the child may have arrived in the UK with their parent who has subsequently returned to Ukraine. The carer may be a sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme who was known to the child’s family and who is now caring for the child.

The precise numbers of Ukrainian children in the UK are not known. But the situation facing them when they arrive is complex. Eligibility for support can be affected by the immigration route they travelled on and the type of kinship arrangement they are living in.

Refugee children from Ukraine – kinship care guide

This guide sets out the key information relevant for these families all in one place. It includes information on:

• Key immigration rules
• Parental responsibility and decision making
• Legal and practice framework
• Specialist support for children and families

The guide is written for social workers and other practitioners, and may also be of use to families. It is the result of a collaboration between Family Rights Group, Coram BAAF, Coram Children’s Legal Centre and Children and Families Across Borders. The work was initiated by Family Rights Group’s Chief Executive and is funded by Save the Children UK.

This guide should not be used to give legal advice and is for information and guidance only. For advice on individual cases, assistance should be sought from an independent regulated legal adviser.

• FAQs regarding Ukrainian children and young people living in kinship care arrangements in England