What we do

How we are changing lives

We deliver national support, advice and information and connect kinship carers. So they feel empowered rather than isolated.

Our 160 peer support groups across England and Wales offer kinship carers a way to meet other kinship carers, share experiences and exchange advice.

Workshops and roadshows for kinship carers provide free advice, tips and practical tools for those who are new to kinship care and to those who have been kinship carers for years. They are also a great way to meet and connect with other kinship carers.

Run by specialists, our advice line helps make kinship carers’ lives just that little bit easier. Helping kinship carers navigate a sometimes complex and confusing system.

In partnership with local authorities, we offer kinship carers 1-to-1 support with specialist project workers.

We match kinship carers with other kinship carers, who are trained to provide emotional support, through our Someone like Me service.

How we are changing the system

Working with kinship carers, we develop research, campaigns and policy solutions – creating positive change across society. 

Our #ValueOurLove campaign which we developed with kinship carers called for a Kinship Care Strategy to address 4 priority areas of support for kinship families. Over 12,000 signed up to the campaign, petitioning the government to take action.

In 2023, our campaigning played a crucial role as the government introduced its first ever National Kinship Care Strategy. The strategy committed to significant investment in training, support, and information for kinship carers, trials of financial allowances in some areas for kinship carers, expanding the remit of virtual schools to provide educational support for kinship children, as well as guidance for employers to support kinship carers. But there is still much more work to do until we see a kinship care system designed for the unique needs of kinship families. 

And as we see momentum building for change, we keep using evidence to demonstrate the value of kinship care. That evidence comes from our unique and ground-breaking research projects, which helps us to develop a strong case for what needs to change.  

Our kinship care policy tracker helps decision makers and professionals to understand more about the current state of play for kinship care policy in England. It provides an overview of current action, Kinships’ verdict and what we think should happen next. All grounded in evidence and shaped by the real-life experience of kinship carers, who use their expert experience to co-design our pioneering support services, campaigns and research. 

We know that to create positive change across society, we need to work together.  

Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families.