What kinship foster care is, where to get more support and information and how the assessment process works.
Kinship foster care is when a child lives with a family member or close family friend but is still in the care of the council.
This may be under a:
- care order, where we have parental responsibility for the child
- voluntary agreement with the child's parents or carer under section 20 of the Children Act 1989
Get support
Kinship foster carers get the same support as other foster carers.
They also have an allocated supervising social worker who they can contact for advice and support.
Our Fostering Bristol site has more information and resources for kinship foster carers.
Assessment
A social worker will assess the family member or friend who wants to look after the child. This will check if they meet fostering regulations and can provide a safe and stable home.
Decision
A decision will then be made by the child's social worker about where the child should live.
The carers may care for the child under:
- a temporary foster care arrangement (Regulation 24) and then a special guardianship arrangement
- fostering regulations after being approved by the fostering panel and agency decision maker
If the child stays in kinship foster care, they'll:
- stay in our care under kinship fostering arrangements
- have a social worker
- have an independent reviewing officer