Topic outline

  • Children in Kinship Care

    This brief video outlines key information for schools about children in kinship care.

     

     

    Supporting the Education of Children in Kinship Care

    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 is Kinship Care? 

    Kinship care is when a child lives full-time, or most of the time, with a relative or close family friend, usually because their parents are not able to care for them.   You might see kinship carers referred to as ‘family and friends carers’ or ‘connected people’ by local authorities and in some documents. 

    Types of Kinship Care 

    • Informal arrangements 
    • Special Guardianship Orders 
    • Child Arrangement Order 
    • Family and Friends Foster Care 
    • Private Foster Care 

    If you would like more information about the different types of Kinship Care, please click on the following link. What is kinship care? - Kinship Compass 

    Previously Looked After Child (PLAC) Status  

    Children in kinship care can also be a Previously Looked After Child.  For a pupil to be a Previously Looked After Child, they will have been in local authority care, and to have 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, please go to the PLAC section of our Moodle. 

    Key Aims

    • Raise the visibility of the distinct needs of children in different types of kinship care arrangements and the disadvantages that they can experience 
    • Promote practice that supports attendance and engagement in education 
    • Promote practice that improves children in kinship care’s outcomes to narrow the attainment gap 
    • Provide advice and information, on request, to all kinship carers with Special Guardianship and Child Arrangements Orders 


    • Responsibilities of Schools and Education Settings

      The school’s responsibilities for children who are in Kinship Care: 

      • Identify and know their Kinship Care children and families 
      • key colleagues (including DSL, DT, SENDCO, attendance and progress leads, safeguarding governor) to liaise and collaborate to ensure consistency in support for children in Kinship Care  
      • Understand the importance of greater focus and visibility for the distinct needs of kinship children and families 
      • Identify and understand the barriers and needs for this group of children
      • Ensure prioritisation of the cohort and targeted response  
      • Ensure relationships and pupil voice are at the centre of any approach  
      • Utilise wider support and partnerships 

    • Virtual School Offer

      The Virtual School is working to: 

      • Develop schools’ understanding of different kinds of kinship care arrangements 
      • Support schools to understand the importance of greater focus and visibility for the distinct needs of kinship children and families 
      • Understand the role of the school in identifying and supporting their kinship care families 
      • Learn how schools can support attendance and engagement of kinship children in education 
      • Promote practice that improves the educational attainment of children in kinship care 
      • Signpost to support and resources currently available to kinship care families  
      • Provide advice and guidance to all kinship carers with special guardianship orders and child arrangement orders, regardless of whether their child was previously looked after by the local authority. 

      • Key Documents