What is the difference between kinship care and kinship fostering?

The main difference between kinship care and kinship fostering is the legal route through which the child is cared for and the level of formal involvement from the local authority. A relative or connected person may care for a child informally or under a legal order without becoming a foster carer, whereas kinship fostering is used when the child is looked after by the local authority and the carer is approved under fostering regulations.

Kinship care can involve several different arrangements. The child may live with a relative or someone they know through an informal family agreement, a child arrangements order or a special guardianship order (SGO). These routes do not all give the carer the same legal rights, duties or financial assistance, so the name of the arrangement matters.

• Informal kinship care: the child lives with someone known to them, but there is no court order or foster approval. The child’s parents normally retain parental responsibility and make important decisions.
• Child arrangements order: a court decides who the child should live with. The person named in the order usually shares parental responsibility with the child’s parents and may receive support, depending on their circumstances and the local authority’s policy.
• Special guardianship order: a special guardian takes a greater degree of day-to-day responsibility and can usually make important decisions about the child’s upbringing without seeking permission for every matter. The child’s parents retain parental responsibility, although the special guardian’s authority is normally prioritised in most decisions.
• Kinship fostering: the child remains looked after by the local authority and the connected person is assessed and approved as a foster carer for that child.

The child’s legal status is therefore a key distinction. In a kinship fostering arrangement, the local authority continues to have formal responsibilities for the child’s care and welfare. The foster carer looks after the child on a daily basis, but major decisions may involve the local authority, the child’s parents and other professionals. The carer will be given information about the decisions they can make themselves, often referred to as delegated authority.

With an SGO or child arrangements order, the carer generally has more direct responsibility for everyday decisions and the child may no longer be looked after by the local authority. An informal carer may have less legal authority than either of these arrangements. This can affect decisions about education, healthcare, travel, contact with parents and other important parts of the child’s life.

The assessment and approval process also differs. Someone seeking to foster a child within their family or network must complete a fostering assessment. This normally considers their relationship with the child, parenting capacity, household circumstances, health, references, background checks, home environment and ability to work with professionals and support the child’s needs. Kinship foster carers also complete preparation or training relevant to fostering.

A person being considered for an SGO or another court-based arrangement will usually have a different assessment, focused on whether that legal arrangement is suitable and whether they can provide the child with safe, stable care. An informal arrangement may not involve a formal assessment at all. However, if children’s services believe the child needs protection or is unable to remain safely with their parents, the local authority may need to become involved regardless of what the family initially intended.

Support is usually more structured for kinship foster carers. They can receive a supervising social worker, regular supervision, reviews, training and access to support connected with their fostering role. The child’s placement is monitored as part of the local authority’s responsibilities, and the carer is expected to follow fostering policies and safeguarding procedures.

Kinship carers under an SGO or child arrangements order may receive support through a kinship or special guardianship support plan, but this is not the same as foster-carer supervision. The type and extent of help can depend on the child’s needs, the assessment, the legal order and local authority arrangements. Informal carers may have fewer automatic services and may need to ask what practical or financial help is available.

Financial help is not the same under every route. Kinship foster carers generally receive fostering payments in line with the policy of the approving fostering service. These payments are intended to contribute towards the costs of caring for a fostered child, but the amount and conditions can vary. A kinship carer with an SGO or child arrangements order may be considered for a different allowance or support payment, which can be affected by the child’s circumstances and the local authority’s rules. Informal carers should not assume that a regular fostering allowance will be available.

The arrangement may also affect what happens if the child’s parents want the child to return to their care. Foster placements are reviewed through the looked-after-child process, and the local authority considers whether the placement remains suitable and what the child needs as they grow. An SGO is intended to provide greater long-term stability, while an informal arrangement may be changed by agreement between the adults unless another legal order is made.

There is no single route that is right for every family. The appropriate option depends on why the child cannot live with their parents, whether the child is already looked after, the level of legal authority the carer needs, the likelihood of the arrangement being long term and the support required to meet the child’s needs.

If you are unsure which route applies, ask the child’s social worker or children’s services to explain the proposed legal status before agreeing to care. It is also sensible to obtain independent legal advice before applying for an SGO or child arrangements order, particularly where parental disagreement, contact issues or concerns about the child’s safety are involved.

In summary: kinship care describes the wider family-and-connected-person care arrangement, while kinship fostering is a regulated fostering route for a child who remains looked after by the local authority. The main practical differences concern legal responsibility, assessment, supervision, training, financial support and how the placement is reviewed.