Every child deserves to thrive and to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home. Kinship care can transform outcomes for some of our most vulnerable children and I am committed to championing kinship families so that more children can thrive.
Kinship carers are often a lifeline to vulnerable children who can no longer live at home. By stepping in, they allow children to grow up within their families and communities.
I am pleased that the previous Government honoured its commitment to initiate reforms in children's social care by allocating £20 million in funding for 2024/25 to champion kinship care. This investment marked an important step toward building a children's social care system with kinship care at its core. Its commitments included:
- Providing £16 million to pilot giving a financial allowance to special guardian kinship carers caring for children who were previously looked after by a local authority.
- Publishing guidance for employers on how kinship carers can be supported at work.
- Providing £3.8 million to expand the role of Virtual School Heads to promote the children in kinship care.
- Publishing a definition of kinship care.
The Labour manifesto committed to "working with local government to support children in care, including through kinship, foster care, and adoption, as well as strengthening regulation of the children's social care sector." While it is encouraging that the Government recognises the importance of the sector, there has been little detail or concrete policy announced since they came into government. I would like to see the Secretary of State for Education confirm whether she will uphold the previous Government's reforms to Kinship care or change course.
In addition, the Government must provide Kinship Carers with the necessary resources and support to ensure they can continue offering the stability and care these children desperately need.