For family or friends who step up to raise a child.
Browse personal stories from kinship carers, sharing their experiences and what they've learnt on their kinship care journeys.
Meet Maxine
This Black History Month, Maxine Campbell-Downer MBE, a kinship carer to her niece and Kinship’s Growth & Inclusion Lead, reflects on her family's long connection to kinship care, her journey as a campaigner and the importance of ensuring diverse communities are seen, heard and supported.
View Aunt kinship carer from London and Kinship’s Growth & Inclusion Lead
Meet Libby
Libby, a grandmother kinship carer from Yorkshire, shares her reflections after performing her play, ‘Heart of a Guardian’ to kinship carers and local authority professionals at Kinship peer support groups in Chelmsford and Doncaster during Kinship Care Week 2026.
View A kinship carer from Yorkshire reflects on the experience of performing her solo show ‘Heart of a Guardian’
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Josh was just 25 years old when he and his brother Ben began raising their younger autistic brother Max, who had just become a teenager, after their mother sadly passed away in 2024
View Meet Josh
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Alan, who is 80 and disabled, and Glenise, 79, had no time to prepare for the financial, practical and emotional support that they would need as kinship carers.
View Meet Alan and Glenise
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Heather and Nick found the initial lack of support and information for kinship carers really poor and were forced to find their way through the complex kinship care system completely alone.
View Meet Heather and Nick
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Clive realised he had no time to prepare practically and very little time to process emotionally how completely his life was about to change.
View Meet Clive
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Kinship carers Leasa, 56, and husband Oly, 57, from London have been raising their two nephews Jake, 11, who is autistic and Luke, 9, in their two-bedroom housing association flat since June 2020.
View Meet Oly and Leasa
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Parents of three adult children Rod, 69, and Julie, 61, from Chesterfield became kinship carers to their 2-year-old granddaughter when she was just 5 days old.
View Meet Rod and Julie
Unplanned, Unprepared, Unwavering photography series
Alan and Julie said yes immediately to becoming kinship carers but nothing could have prepared them for the challenges they would have to face to ensure their granddaughter, Ella who has additional needs, received the support that she needed.
View Meet Alan and Julie
Meet Annette
Annette (59) and her partner (69) are kinship carers to their three grandchildren (11, 11, and 9).
View Kinship carers to their three grandchildren
Meet Marion
Marion is a kinship carer to her two grandchildren (8 and 12).
View Kinship carer to her two grandchildren
Meet Rosie
Rosie from Windsor, kinship carer shares her story of being a Kinship volunteer peer support group leader.
View Kinship carer and Kinship volunteer peer support group leader
Meet Coreen
Coreen, kinship carer from London, share her story of being a volunteer Kinship peer support group leader.
View Kinship carer from London and volunteer Kinship peer support group leader
Meet GJ
GJ, aunt kinship carer share her story on being a Someone Like Me volunteer.
View Aunt kinship carer and Someone Like Me volunteer
Meet Ian
Ian, grandfather kinship carer, shares his story of being a kinship peer support group leader volunteer.
View Grandfather kinship carer and Kinship peer support group leader volunteer
Meet James
James from Shipley, kinship carer, shares his story of being a Kinship volunteer peer support group co-leader.
View Kinship carer from Shipley and Kinship volunteer peer support group co-leader
Meet Rose
Rose, sibling kinship carer, shares her story on being a volunteer Kinship peer support group leader.
View Sibling kinship carer and volunteer Kinship peer support group leader
Meet Stacy
Kinship carer Stacy shares how the lack of support impacted her when she began caring for her niece.
View Why kinship carers need more support
Meet David
Kinship carer David shares how he balances making Christmas special for his grandchildren while grieving the loss of his daughter and mother.
View Coping with grief at Christmas
Meet Levette
Levette, 68, is a grandmother kinship carer to her three grandchildren. Find out how peer support groups helped her find practical support.
View The power of peer support groups
Meet Poppy
Poppy shares her story of growing up in kinship care, and how she often felt invisible due to a lack of understanding about her situation.
View The emotional impact of growing up in kinship careSign up for emails to keep up to date with the information that’s important to you, from support and advice for kinship carers, to our latest news, events and campaigns.