We know that it can be difficult to find information about kinship care – whether you are an informal kinship carer, have a Special Guardianship Order, Child Arrangement Order or Care Order. Our advice pages are up-to-date and relevant for you.
If you can’t find what you need please get in touch with our advice service.
You can purchase our Kinship Care Guide England.
Here is a selection of frequently asked questions and links to answers and other related content.
Am I a kinship carer?
Are you looking after the child of a relative or friend on a full-time basis?
If the answer is yes then you are a kinship carer.
What benefits and financial support am I entitled to?
Where can I find others like me to talk to?
I am disabled/have a long-term health problem, can you help?
Where can I find support for mental health for me or my child?
I need support with housing
What do I need to know about my child’s education?
I’ve lost contact with my grandchildren, what can I do?
What are my legal options? (special guardianship orders, etc)
How do I manage contact with the birth parents?
What childcare is there for kinship carers?
There’s been a death in the family, can you help?
What are my employment rights?
I need information on drug/alcohol addiction
I’ve had a bad experience with children’s services.
For a full A-Z of our advice and information please click here
- Addiction
- Adoption support fund
- Bereavement support
- Benefits
- Census England | Wales
- Childcare
- Contact with birth parents
- Debt
- Developmental trauma and attachment disorder
- Disability or long-term health problems
- Education
- Employment rights
- Financial support
- Fuel poverty
- Gender identity and sexual orientation
- Household Support Fund
- Housing
- Junior Individual Savings
- Kinship care contingency planning
- Legal options
- Local authority allowances
- Looking after a child whose parent is in prison
- Lost contact with grandchildren
- Making a complaint about Children’s Services
- Mental health and emotional support for kinship carers
- Money saving tips
- Post adoption support
- Reduction in Universal Credit and rising energy costs
- Support for young people moving into education
- Support groups
- Talking to children about Kinship care
- Testamentary guardianship
- Warm homes in Wales: How Care & Repair can help older people
- What to do when someone dies
- What kinship carers can expect from schools
Can’t find what you’re looking for?
We can advise anyone who is caring for a relative or friend’s child full time, and anyone thinking about becoming a kinship carer.
