What family and friends care is
Family and friends care is also known as:
- Kinship care
- Connected persons care
- Special guardianship
It is when a child lives with someone they already know instead of with their parents or step-parents. This may be a friend or family member.
Children's services may or may not have looked after the child. They may or may not know the child.
Reasons for family and friends care
There are may reasons why children may not live with their parents. Examples include:
- Working arrangements
- Ill health
- A parent going to prison
- A change in family circumstances
- Educational opportunities for the child. For example, staying with a host family while attending a language school.
- Concerns about the parents' ability to care for the child
- A child who was adopted in another country where the adoption is not legally recognised in the UK
Becoming a family and friends carer
There are different types of family and friends care.
Some family and friends carers must have assessments before a child can live with them. Some carers must have assessments every year.
All carers should have training. This is to make sure they have all the skills they need to look after the children in their care.
The difference between foster care and family and friends care
The main difference between foster carers and family and friends (kinship) carers:
- Kinship carers are someone the child or young person already knows
- Kinship carers are not financially supported by the local authority
