Andy Smith, ADCS President, said:
“Kinship care enables the continuation of existing relationships, and we recognise the love and dedication of family or friends who step in to provide children with a loving, stable home when they can’t live with their birth parents. The number of children in our care continues to rise, including the use of these arrangements, so it is crucial that the system provides the right support for the children and the families involved.
“This new guidance provides much-needed clarity about the nature, the status of kinship care and the breadth of arrangements that exist. However, it remains the case that access to support is often dependent on having a legal order, which can draw families into the legal process unnecessarily.
“The guidance provides for each local area to design its own financial support offer, ADCS has advocated for these payments to be made via the benefits system to reduce our involvement in family life where there are no ongoing concerns or needs.
“We are committed to working closely with the government on this to ensure that the needs and best interests of each individual child always remains at the heart of decision making.”
ENDS