Kinship Care

What is Kinship Care?

In March 2024, the role of the Virtual School Head was extended to include strategic leadership and promotion of educational outcomes for children with a social worker and those in formal kinship care arrangements. Statistics show that children in kinship care have better academic outcomes than those in other non-familial care arrangements.

Definition of kinship care

Kinship care is the umbrella term used to for any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. The arrangement may be temporary or longer term.

The following are all types of Kinship Care Arrangement; however this list is not exhaustive:-

1. Informal Kinship Care Arrangements (not approved foster care) including:
   1. A private family arrangement in which a close relative who does not hold parental responsibility, raises the child and the local authority has had no major role in making the arrangement for the child; and a Family Court has not made an order in respect to the care of the child.
   2. Where a child under the age of 16 is being provided with accommodation for less than 28 days by an individual in their own home who is not a close relative.
   3. Where a 16 or 17-year-old is being provided with accommodation by an individual who is not a close relative in their own home.
2. A Private Fostering Arrangement in which someone who is not a close relative of the child looks after them for 28 days or more.
3. A Child Arrangements order in favour of someone who is a friend or family member but is not the child’s parent.
4. A Special Guardianship Order appointing a friend or family member as the child’s special guardian.
5. A ‘looked after child’ under either an Interim or Final Care Order or being accommodated by the local authority may be described as ‘kinship foster care’ or ‘family and friends foster care’) if:
   1. The child is being cared for by a friend or family member who is not their parent, and
   2. The friend or family member is approved as a local authority foster carer either on a temporary basis or following full assessment.
6. An Adoption Order has been granted in respect of the child and, prior to the making of the order, the adopter was a friend or family member.

Additional support and guidance for Kinship carers

For further advance and guidance about Kinship Care arrangements, please contact Senior Social Worker for Special Guardianship Orders - Emma Bradbury: Emma.bradbury@woverhampton.gov.uk

For more information about training opportunities available to Kinship carers, please contact - Esther Douglas: Esther.douglas@wolverhampton.gov.uk

For access to an independent, online, information and the advice and support hub, contact Kinship Compass