Children in kinship care

Information, resources and guidance for kinship carers, educational settings and any other agencies.

The following children come under the remit of the Virtual School:

The Virtual School’s strategic role is to:

  1. Raise the visibility of the distinct needs of children in different types of kinship care arrangements and the disadvantages that they can experience. 
  2. Promote practice that supports attendance and engagement in education. 
  3. Promote practice that improves children in kinship care’s outcomes to narrow the attainment gap, so that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. 

The Virtual School is able to provide advice and information, on request, to all kinship carers with Special Guardianship and Child Arrangements Orders as part of our non-statutory role. 

National Kinship Strategy

The National Kinship Care Strategy for England (Dec 2023) sets out the Government’s plans, new commitments and £20m investment over 2024-25. 

Adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF)

Kinship Compass

An independent online information, advice and support hub just for kinship carers

The government have commissioned a new national offer of advice, information, training and peer support for all kinship carers via Kinship.  Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales who work with all kinship carers – the grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and family friends – who are caring for children when their parents can’t.

Kinship Together podcast

Kinship Together is a new podcast that features real-life stories, experiences and advice from kinship carers.  You can listen to episode using the player below, or find and subscribe to the podcase on Apply Podcasts or Spotify.