Children in Kinship Care
Section outline
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Children in Kinship Care in Early Years Settings – Key Information for Parents and Carers
In September 2024, the role of Virtual Schools expanded further to specifically include championing the educational attendance, attainment and progress of children in kinship care.
What Can I Expect from my Child's Early Years Setting?
- a positive partnership that supports you and your child in all aspects of their early development, learning, wellbeing and readiness for the next stage of their education
- regular communication about your child's strengths, interests, progress and any areas where they may need additional support. Whilst it is NOT a statutory requirement, a personalised plan, such as an education support plan (ESP), created collaboratively between school and home, is valuable
- opportunities for your child's voice, preferences and interests to be recognised and reflected in their learning experiences
- early identification and timely support for any emerging developmental, learning, communication, social or emotional needs
- collaboration with relevant professionals, services and organisations to ensure your child receives the right support at the right time
- a welcoming, inclusive environment where your child feels safe, valued and able to thrive
- relevant training and support provided for staff
Previously Looked-After Child (PLAC) Status
Children in kinship care can also be a previously looked-after child (PLAC). For a pupil to be PLAC, they will have been in local authority care, and immediately moved to a new order of permanency through:
- adoption
- special guardianship order (SGO)
- residency order (RO) ceased 2014
- child arrangement order (CAO)
If a child is previously looked after, they can receive pupil premium plus funding (PP+), and funding can be applied for from the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF). For more information on both of these, please go to the early years PLAC section of our Moodle.
