Kinship Care Week 2024

Kinship Care Week 2024, running from October 7–13, provides a vital opportunity to celebrate and raise awareness about the incredible role kinship carers play in children's lives. This year's theme, ThisIsKinshipCare, aims to shine a light on the diverse and inspiring stories of kinship families across the UK.

The Power of Kinship Care

Kinship care refers to arrangements where children are raised by relatives or close family friends when they cannot live with their parents. This form of care offers numerous benefits:

Children in kinship care generally have better outcomes compared to those in non-parental care.

It allows children to maintain family connections and grow up within their communities.

Kinship care often provides more stability and continuity for children during challenging times.

Kinship Care in Numbers

The prevalence and impact of kinship care in the UK are significant.

Approximately 180,000 children in the UK are being raised by kinship carers.

It's estimated that 1 in 74 children in England are living in kinship care arrangements.

Despite its prevalence, kinship care often receives less recognition and support compared to other forms of care.

Celebrating Kinship in Wolverhampton

To mark Kinship Care Week, we partnered with Fostering for Wolverhampton to host a heartwarming event that brought together kinship families. The centrepiece of our celebration was the creation of a collaborative scrapbook, allowing families to explore and document their unique journeys.

This creative project served multiple purposes:

Reflection and Recognition: It provided an opportunity for kinship families to reflect on their experiences and celebrate their strengths.

Community Building: The event fostered connections between kinship families, creating a support network.

Awareness Raising: By sharing these stories, we aim to increase understanding of kinship care in our community.

Supporting Kinship Carers

While kinship care offers many benefits, carers often face unique challenges. The government has recently announced a £20 million investment for 2024–25 to support kinship care, including:

Launching a kinship financial allowance in select local authorities.

Expanding the Virtual School Head's role to promote education for children in kinship care.

Improving guidance and support for local authorities to enhance experiences for carers and children.

As we celebrate Kinship Care Week, it's crucial to recognise the selfless dedication of kinship carers and continue working towards a system that fully supports these vital family arrangements. The scrapbook created during our event stands as a testament to the resilience, love, and incredible blessing that kinship care represents for so many children and families.