The move would help standardise support for this group of carers, who are relatives or friends who care for children that may otherwise be placed in foster or residential care.
The current lack of a single, universal definition “leads to different interpretations of kinship carers and variable levels of support”, says the Family Rights Group (FRG), which has launched the campaign.
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Special guardianship best practice guidance
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Blog: Questioning the lack of support for children in kinship care
The group's #TimeToDefine campaign wants kinship care and its different arrangements involving family members and friends to be written into legislation.
The move could also lead to an increasing use of kinship care by councils, adds the campaign. Currently 15 per cent of looked-after children are being cared for by family and friends.
“Without an agreed definition, kinship carers can quickly run into a myriad of confusion and misunderstanding,” said FRG principal legal adviser Caroline Lynch.
“At the very moment when the child they are caring for needs stability and support, kinship carers find they are having to explain who they are and what they need.”
Today we launch a proposal for single universal definition of kinship care
— Family Rights Group (@FamilyRightsGp) April 12, 2022
How to help:
- share the proposal on social media #TimeToDefine
- Write to your MP or lead Councillor for Children's services & ask them to back the campaign
Find out more: https://t.co/OK9nBdjrnc pic.twitter.com/bXbcreY14k
FRG chief executive Cathy Ashley added: “This is too important to leave to chance. It is time to define kinship care and apply it consistently across government and public services.”
A strategy document by FRG details the different types of kinship arrangements to be defined in law. This includes private family arrangements when a close relative, including grandparents or siblings, support a child without prior consideration by children’s services.
Special guardianship orders and kinship foster care arrangements, under the 1989 children Act, are also included in FRG’s definition for politicians to consider.
Also being called for is a national financial allowance for kinship carers as “the cost of bringing up a child is substantial, including food, clothes, travel, household bills, outings and more”, states FRG’s strategy.
The charity Kinship last month called on the Care Review to include improvements to support for kinship care in its final report. The review is expected to publish its recommendations in late spring.
Kinship’s survey found that more than eight in ten kinship carers worry about money.
It is estimated that more than 162,000 children are in kinship care arrangements, nearly double the 88,115 children looked after by councils.
Meanwhile, the Consortium of Voluntary Adoption Agencies has launched a campaign this week to highlight the range of choices available to potential adopters.
Options include applying through councils, regional adoption agencies or a voluntary adoption agency.
