‘You have 10 minutes to decide’: answering the life-changing call to become a kinship carer
Summary
Many children in England and Wales are cared for by relatives or close family friends called kinship carers, who take children in when their parents cannot care for them. These carers often face sudden decisions with little support, as shown by stories like Clive, who became the legal guardian of his baby niece with only hours' notice.Key Facts
- Over 141,000 children in England and Wales live with kinship carers instead of their parents.
- Kinship carers are usually family members or close friends who take temporary or permanent care of children.
- Kinship care is used twice as often as foster care in these regions.
- Kinship carers often receive less legal, financial, and practical support than foster or adoptive parents.
- A survey showed 40% of kinship carers had less than one hour to decide to take in a child, and 20% had less than 24 hours.
- Clive, a primary school headteacher, became a kinship carer for his six-week-old niece with only a few hours' warning.
- Some kinship carers find the experience rewarding but also isolating and exhausting.
- The current system can leave kinship carers feeling unsupported by policymakers and social services.
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