Kinship care: guidance for local authorities
How local authorities should support children who are cared for by extended family, friends or connected persons and their families.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This statutory guidance is for local authorities and their staff.
It sets out:
- how local authorities should support children in kinship care and their families, and expectations for the delivery of services to them
- the duties on local authorities in relation to children in kinship care and their families, as contained in the Children Act 1989 and subsequent legislation, including the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026
Updates to this page
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Updated to reflect new duties on local authorities contained in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and new national kinship standards.
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First published.