Kinship Care Alliance Manifesto

We call on all politicians to support the following:

1. That Government collects and publishes official statistics on children being raised by family and friends carers and places a duty on local authorities to collect local data.

2. To enable more children to be raised within their family network by:

• Placing a duty on local authorities to:

- Publish accessible policies and procedures in relation to family and friends care;

- Explore all safe alternatives for the child’s care within their family network when a child may be removed from home;

- Commission independent advice and information for relatives when a child cannot live at home;

- Offer a family group conference to the child and their family before (or immediately afterwards in an emergency) care proceedings are commenced.

• Ensuring such duties are properly funded by the Government.

3. To implement a new safe, effective approach to assessment of family and friends as potential carers

Relevant Government guidance and regulations recognize family and friends carers as a specific group (distinct from unrelated foster care) who require tailored policies and support and a bespoke assessment process.

4. To support children in family and friends care to reach their full potential by:

• Amending legislation so that children are treated as children in need, and therefore have a right to assessment of their needs;

• Placing a duty on local authorities to establish and commission family and friends care support services, including help with contact, help with children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties and setting up local support groups for carers.

“My wife is 75, I am 74. We are both severely disabled, the stress financially and healthwise is immense and we could do with some help please.”

5. To tackle poverty and end financial discrimination against family and friends carers by:

• Ending the current postcode lottery related to financial support and introducing a national financial allowance for family and friends carers who are raising children who cannot live with the parents;

“I had to leave a well-paid job, I struggle every day with bills, I go hungry to feed my grandson... we don’t have holidays, I have to go without any social life to afford to keep him.”

• Ensuring family and friends carers, who are permanently raising a child, are given the same exemption as unrelated foster carers and temporary family and friends carers in relation to income support rules vs. Job Seeker’s Allowance;

• Amending the legal aid rules for family and friends carers to cover their legal costs in order to secure the child’s permanent future with them.