Informal kinship care
An informal Kinship Care arrangement is a private family agreement where a child is raised by a grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle or step-parent without a court order or local authority
As an informal kinship carer you don't have parental responsibility with this arrangement
However, you can choose to apply for a legal order to gain parental responsibility and provide a more secure family environment for those you are caring for. If you feel this might be appropriate for your family, this can be done through a private application to the courts.
Kinship.org have further information and advice about informal Kinship arrangements.
Private fostering
Private fostering arrangements do not apply where the child is living with a close relative, such as a grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle or step-parent.
Where a child lives with another adult who is not a close relative for more than 28 days, private fostering regulations may apply.
Carers or parents must let us know of a private fostering arrangement. We have a duty to assess and monitor the suitability of the arrangement.
Private foster carers don't have parental responsibility.
Kinship foster care
Kinship foster carers are usually approved in 2 stages: an initial temporary approval (normally up to 24 weeks) followed by a full fostering assessment and approval.
A full approval
If you have full approval as a kinship carer, this means you have been assessed and approved beyond the temporary approval period.
The child remains 'looked after' and in our care, and you are caring for the child or young person as a kinship foster carer. This means the child or young person will continue to have a social worker and be visited regularly.
It also means we will make decisions relating to the child or young person in partnership with the birth parents.
As a kinship foster carer, you will not hold parental responsibility.
You'll be allocated a fostering social worker to supervise and support you. You will also be reviewed annually and asked to complete training. You will receive the same support as unrelated foster carers.
You will not be asked to care for any other children other than those you have been assessed to care for.
Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) can provide a secure and lasting arrangement for the child or children in their care.
Before an SGO can be considered, a kinship assessment will need to be completed. This assessment helps everyone understand the child's needs, your family's circumstances, and what support may be needed moving forward.
Once a SGO is made, you will be given parental responsibility (PR) for the child and they will no longer be 'looked after' by the local authority. An SGO offers children the security of a permanent home while helping them maintain important connections with their birth family, heritage, and identity.
While birth parents continue to share parental responsibility, a special guardian has the authority to make important day-to-day decisions about the child's upbringing, health, education, and welfare without needing to seek agreement from others. This provides children with stability, and gives carers the confidence and authority to parent the child until they reach 18 years of age.
If your kinship assessment recommends that an SGO is the right plan for your family, we'll work with you to develop a support plan. This provides an opportunity to discuss everyone's needs and agree together what support may help you and the child.
Some families may also be eligible for a Special Guardianship Allowance. A financial assessment will be completed to determine whether financial support can be provided and what level of assistance may be available.
Child arrangement order (CAO)
This is another family court order which sets out who the child will live with and contact arrangements.
The person granted the CAO will have parental responsibility, but this is shared equally with the birth parents.
The order ceases at the age of 16 for contact arrangements, and 18 for living arrangements. It's likely that we will have been asked to complete an assessment for the courts, for this order to be granted.