WIREDGOV

“Everyone should have a safe place to live. They want somebody to love them and treat them well like their family.” – Girl, 10, living with other family or kinship carers.

Kinship Care Week is a chance to recognise the incredible but often under-acknowledged contributions of kinship carers – family members and close friends who step in during times of crisis to care for children.

These carers provide stability and love during moments of significant upheaval, offering children a sense of home when they are unable to live with their birth parents. The love and commitment they offer can be transformative. The majority of children in kinship care who responded to The Big Ambition said they feel loved and cared for, a true testament to the unique bonds formed during kinship care.

This week should also be a moment to reflect on how we support and value kinship carers. I’m pleased to see the government’s recent commitment to supporting children in kinship care, but there is still much more that needs to be done.

In The Big Ambition I called for a financial allowance for all kinship carers, in the same way as foster carers and adoptive families receive. Building on the government’s pathfinder programme, every kinship carer should receive a financial allowance to support them to care for the children they welcome into their homes, who may have additional needs to consider or adjustments to make for their new living arrangements.

As a seven-year-old girl living with her grandparents shared in The Big Ambition:

“Nanny needs some more money so we can do more stuff together and Grandad could have a day off work and come too as he always has to work every day so Nan can stay and look after me.”

This simple yet poignant statement reflects the reality of the challenges many kinship carers face: balancing work, caring, and finances often without any extra support. This week in my 100 Voices campaign I have been sharing responses from children in kinship care. Let it be a reminder to us all of the incredible impact these families have.

With continued commitment and the right support, we can ensure that kinship care remains a transformative experience for children and carers alike.