Kinship Care

Kinship care is when a child is formally 'looked after' in terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 by their extended family or close friends, if they cannot remain with their birth parents. Under the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009, Kinship Carers are 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'.

A 'looked after' child / young person is one who is subject to a supervision order under Section 83 of the Children Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 or a child/young person who was formally placed under Section 25, Children (Scotland) Act 1995 in the care of a kinship carer by Social Work Services.

Kinship care also includes non-looked after children, who live in an informal kinship care arrangement. These children may be subject to a Section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 or may be living in a completely private arrangement with extended family, with no local authority involvement at all