We know there’s a lot to take in when you’re preparing to become a kinship carer. That’s why we’ve put together information and advice to help you get ready.
Informal kinship care arrangements
Information on informal kinship care arrangements, including how you become an informal kinship carer and available support.
This advice applies to: England and Wales
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What is informal kinship care?
Informal kinship care is where a child is looked after by a close relative, such as a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt or step-parent.
The child’s parents will usually discuss and agree with the kinship carer how the arrangement will work.
The local authority has no major involvement in the arrangement and there is no court order in place.
An informal kinship carer is
- a close relative taking care of a child on behalf of their parents
- a more distant relative or family friend taking care of a non-disabled young person aged 16 or 17, or
- a more distant relative or family friend taking care of a child under 16 for less than 28 days
In all other situations where the carer is not a close relative, the local authority does not have major involvement and there is no court order in place, it should be a private foster care arrangement.
A close relative is legally defined as the child’s grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt. This includes people who are relatives by half blood, marriage or civil partnership and step-parents.
Arrangements longer than 28 days
Only a close relative can be an informal kinship carer for more than 28 days.
If the care is arranged with a more distant relative or family friend, the arrangement is for more than 28 days, and the child is 16 or under, it is private foster care.
Many kinship care arrangements are made informally at first. It may lead to a more formal arrangement, like a special guardianship order. This could happen months or years later, depending on the circumstances.
Informal kinship care can arise when
The parent arranges for you to look after the child because they’re not able to
A child’s parents might ask you to care for their child. In difficult circumstances, you might offer to help. For instance, a parent arranges for you to look after their child while they’re in hospital or recovering from an illness. After recovery, the plan would be for that the child to return to live with them.
An older child or teenager might choose to come and live with you
The parents might later agree, but it is not always simple. Whatever the reason, it’s up to the parent to decide that the arrangements are suitable for their child. Seek advice from Kinship, the police, or your local authority if you need it.
Local children’s services should support and assess you as a kinship foster carer if:
- children’s services say that the child cannot return to their parent’s care or,
- children’s services say they must supervise any contact they have with the parents
In this case you should seek legal advice.
Your responsibilities
You have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare.
Parents still have parental responsibility. This means they are responsible for financial support and for making decisions about their child.
Ideally, you need to work in partnership with parents in the best interests of the child. If it’s hard to get the parents’ agreement for any reason, you can ask children’s services for advice.
Parental responsibility
Parental responsibility (sometimes called PR) is the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which a parent has in relation to a child and his or her property.
Whatever your circumstances as a kinship carer, it’s important to understand what decisions you can make and what rights the child’s parent has.
If you don’t have parental responsibility, it can make everyday decisions difficult depending on your relationship with the parents. You might struggle to come to agreements with the parents, or need regular contact to get their consent, such as for school trips.
Read more about getting parental responsibility for the child you’re caring for.
Decision making
Parents must consent to major decisions such as:
- medical treatment (except in an emergency where the hospital will decide the best course of treatment)
- schooling
- foreign travel
- hair cuts
The Children’s Act 1989 (section 3 (5)) says that even if you’re not a child’s parent or legal guardian, you can still make decisions to keep them safe. If you’re looking after a child, you’re allowed to do what makes sense and is reasonable to keep them safe and healthy.
To clarify which decisions you can make, you might find it helpful to draw up a document which you and the parents sign. If you have trouble arranging this with the parents, you can ask children’s services for support.
Creating a decision-making document
If it is safe and feasible to do so, it can be helpful to write up an agreement between you and the parents that lists some of the decisions you might need to make, and who will be involved in making them.
Your agreement might include:
- what rules you’ll agree to (such as bedtimes, when homework is done, staying out late)
- what you’ll do in emergencies
- how you’ll approach big decisions, such as choosing a secondary school
- how you’ll talk to children about the situation and what you tell them
- how you’ll communicate and resolve any disagreement
If the arrangement is not working
Sometimes, you and the parents may not be able to make decisions about the child, which may harm the child’s welfare. In this situation, a social worker from children’s services can give you the advice and support you need.
Where possible, you should work with the child’s parents and the social worker to discuss and decide what will be best for the child. Older teenagers will often have more of a say and be part of those conversations.
Depending on your circumstances, you may want to apply for a legal order, such as special guardianship order or child arrangements order.
If you no longer wish to or cannot continue with the arrangement, you should speak to the parents.
Longer term arrangements
As an informal kinship carer, you might want to consider applying for a legal order to gain a greater degree of parental responsibility. It is also a way of providing a more secure and certain family situation for the child. If you feel this might be appropriate for your family, you can read more about legal orders in child arrangements orders and special guardianship orders.
Informal kinship care arrangements can end when the parent decides. The parent can resume care without giving you notice, no matter how long you’ve been caring for the child.
Financial support
In an informal kinship care arrangement, the child’s parents must provide financial support. You may also be able to claim government benefits, depending on your financial circumstances.
Your local council must safeguard and promote the welfare of children in their area who are considered ‘in need’ by providing a range of family support services. This could include one-off payments for items such as bedroom furniture or nursery costs, or regular payments if you are a low-income family.
Support you can get
If you’re very worried about the child’s health and development, or if they have a disability, you can ask your local children’s services to assess them as a child in need.
You can also
- ask a doctor, GP or health visitor to ask children’s services on your behalf
- access other support through early help services. Search your local authority’s website for ‘early help’. You can ask the child’s school or health visitor to help with this
- ask the local authority if they know of any local support groups for informal carers
Support from Kinship
Here at Kinship, we offer a range of free support for all kinship carers, including workshops, online advice and information, and support groups.
To find services, information and support in your local area, including information about your local children’s services, use our Kinship Compass tool.
You can also contact the Kinship advice team for free, non-judgmental advice and information if you live in England or Wales.
Related advice and information
Information on the types of financial support and government benefits available to informal kinship carers.
How to plan and organise contact time with family to reduce stress and make it a positive experience for the child.
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