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What is Kinship Care?

Kinship Care is a care arrangement provided by a child's extended family or by a close friend who has a pre-existing relationship with the child. Kinship care can be a formal or informal arrangement and it can be time limited or long term. 

Are you a Kinship Carer?

Under the Looked After (Scotland) Regulations 2009, a Kinship carer is defined as 'a person who is related to the child (through blood, marriage or civil partnership) or a person with whom the child has a pre-existing relationship'.

East Ayrshire Council adheres to the principles set out in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 in supporting kinship carers. 

Formal Kinship Care

Formal kinship care is when children are 'looked after' and were placed by the local authority with relatives or people known to them. A Children's Hearing or court order may also place children in formal kinship care. 

Informal Kinship Care

Informal kinship care is when children who are looked after by relatives are not placed there formally. A social worker may have been involved but this does not mean the child is Looked After. Many informal care arrangements with relatives are unknown to the local authority. 

Current Kinship Care Allowances 

Below is a table of the current kinship care allowances for children and young people residing with approved Kinship Carers.

Current kinship care allowances
 Age band  Weekly kinship allowance
 Under 11 Years  £152.70 per week
 11 to 18 Years  £224.50 per week

Help and support

For all Kinship Carers there is a range of help and support available from both national and local organisations:

Contact Information

 

Fostering and Adoption
Telephone: 01563 554200 (Option 2)