The differences between kinship care and foster care

If you are considering foster care, you might have come across kinship care, and be wondering what the difference is between them.

While foster care is temporarily taking in an unknown child in need of a stable home, kinship care refers to a child being in the custody of relatives or family friends. The aforementioned family members also become foster carers to their related child; however, there are differences in terms of the financial support that foster carers and kinship carers receive in raising their child.

Read on to find out more.

Allowances and financial support

Previously, kinship carers received little to no support from the local government, as this was reserved solely for foster carers. However, local councils and authorities now provide family and friend foster carers with funding as they would for more conventional foster carers, and they also inform them of what they’re entitled to, depending on the number of children and their ages.

However, those with special guardianship and informal child arrangements have typically received less funding or none. If your child has a disability or a long-term health condition, they may be able to receive more assistance.

Relationship with social services and local authorities

Unlike fostering, kinship care can take place without the involvement of local authorities and legal recognition of the carer’s status, known as a private arrangement.

Kinship carers have often lacked the support networks and places to go for help and guidance afforded to foster carers. However, the government has plans to increase such provisions, such as the family care pilot, the families first for children pathfinder and the regional care cooperatives pathfinder programmes.