Social Justice and Social Security Committee
Kinship care
Background
Kinship care is where a child who cannot be looked after by their parents is looked after by extended family or someone known to them.
The Committee has been looking into the challenges faced by kinship carers. It was particularly keen to understand:
- what support is available to kinship carers
- how accessible support for kinship carers is
The Committee has met twice to help develop its understanding.
There was a formal meeting on Kinship care on 24 February 2022 and a formal evidence session with the Minister for Children and Young People on 31 March 2022.
An informal focus group followed this on 21 March 2022, where kinship carers were able to share their views in confidence. A note from this focus group outlines what was discussed.
Report
The Committee published a report on Kinship Care on 21 September 2022.
The Committee plan to return to this work in the Autumn.