Research

Our unique reach allows us to listen to the views and expertise of thousands of kinship carers each year, supporting our robust evidence base and helping us to make a strong case for change.

View all our research and reports

Kinship’s recent research

We carry out research and share it with decision-makers and others to call for improvements in law, policy and professional practice. View our latest research below or take a look at all of our research reports.

Raised by Relatives

This research project looks at the experiences of Black and Asian kinship carers in England. Conducted with Professor Julie Selwyn and Dr Priya Tah from The Rees Centre at Oxford University, and supported by the KPMG Foundation.

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Valuing Kinship Care in England

Valuing Kinship Care in England, published jointly by Kinship and The Centre for Care, highlights how kinship carers contribute £4.3 billion to the economy by caring for children who need a safe and loving home.

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Make or Break: Annual survey of kinship carers in 2024

Make or Break shares key findings from Kinship’s 2024 annual survey of more than 1,300 kinship carers to provide an updated ‘state of the nation’ overview of kinship families.

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Current research projects

We are working with a range of partners on research projects. Find out about our latest projects below.

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Increasing participation in kinship care research

This research project aims to increase opportunities for kinship carers to influence future research about their lives, to help improve services and support for families like theirs.

View Increasing participation in kinship care research
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Understanding kinship carer networks to inform targeted support

This study aims to understand the role of support from family, friends and community groups for kinship carers from different backgrounds.

View Understanding kinship carer networks to inform targeted support
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"The forgotten 10%": private family law cases involving non-parents

This research is looking at the roughly 10% of private law cases that involve 1 or more adults who are not the child’s parent, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings and step-parents.

View "The forgotten 10%": private family law cases involving non-parents

How our research helps influence policy

We call for improvements to law and policy based on our evidence-based research and the lived experience of kinship families. Find out about the impact of our policy and influencing work.

Policy and influencing
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Join our Researchers’ Network

Join our Researchers’ Network to stay updated with the latest research into kinship care and meet others working in this area.

Join our Researchers’ Network