Kinship Care

Kinship carers are people who provide full-time care for children who are not theirs by birth - the only requirement being that they have a pre-existing relationship with the child.

Since 2009, all local authorities are under duty to pay an allowance to kinship carers. Each local authority has the power to choose the criteria under which they make payments and the discretion to decide how much they pay. As a result this can vary greatly between local authorities.

Depending on the legal mechanism used to make such payments and the legal status of the child, kinship carers may or may not be entitled to claim certain benefits. Kinship care is therefore a very complicated topic for kinship carers, advisers and social workers alike.

The Kinship Care Service, provides first tier advice to kinship carers, ensuring that they are in receipt of all the support they are entitled to. We also offer second tier advice, training and policy support to bureaux, local authorities, kinship care support groups and project stakeholders. 

For more advice and information, please visit the Kinship Care Website.