WIREDGOV

Proposals to provide consistent and fair support for families caring for children unable to live with their parents have been published.

Kinship care – where a child lives with a relative, close family friend or other trusted person rather than their parents – is now the most common placement away from home for looked-after children in Scotland, accounting for 35% of such placements.

Views on a draft Vision for Kinship Care will be sought from organisations and individuals in a public consultation launched today.

The draft Vision sets out a consistent baseline of support, proposed for all kinship families across Scotland. It focuses on improving accessibility and transparency around financial support, strengthening advice and advocacy services, and ensuring children in kinship care can access independent advocacy support, while allowing local partners to tailor delivery to families' needs.

Kinship carers, children and young people helped shape the draft Vision as part of the Scottish Government's work on ‘The Promise’ – which commits to ensure that all care-experienced young people grow up loved, safe and respected by 2030.

The consultation on the draft Vision will be open until the end of February 2026.

Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise Natalie Don-Innes said:

“Kinship carers make an extraordinary contribution to our society, often stepping in at a moment's notice to provide care and stability for children within their family network. Their contribution is vital to wider efforts to keep The Promise, and they deserve our recognition and support.

“Kinship families face numerous complex challenges, including financial pressures, and it is crucial that they are able to access the right help when they need it. Through our draft Vision for Kinship Care, we want to work with kinship families and partners to shape a system of support that is fair, consistent and grounded in children's rights, aligned with our commitment to Keep The Promise and tackle child poverty. This Vision builds on the Scottish Government’s previous work to update kinship care guidance and roll out the Scottish Recommended Allowance, further strengthening the rights of kinship families.

“I encourage everyone with an interest in kinship care to share their views and help us shape a final vision that delivers real improvements for children and families.”

Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children First, Scotland's national children's charity said:“The draft Vision for Kinship Care is an important step in recognising the scale of support needed for kinship families to thrive and upholding every child’s right to family life.

“We welcome the Minister’s commitment to ensuring that kinship children and their families have all the easily accessible, tailored practical, emotional, financial and legal advocacy and support they need to stay safe and well together.

“As providers of the Kinship Care Advice Service for Scotland, we are determined to help every kinship family to succeed. Families can contact our friendly, expert team every day of the year by calling 0808 800 0006 for free or by visiting www.kinship.scot.”

Joanne McMeeking, Head Improving Care Experiences, CELCIS, said:

“Kinship care is at the heart of families and communities, enabling children to stay connected and feel loved. The Scottish Government’s ambition with this proposed vision for kinship care in Scotland, acknowledges the unique challenges for kinship carers and their families and is both timely and essential.

“By focusing on widening access to support, with sufficient resources and a realistic deliverable plan, the proposed vision has the potential to improve the experience of kinship families.

“This would resonate with Scotland’s commitments to both The Promise of the independent care review and upholding children’s rights. We look forward to working with others on the development of the vision.”

Background

The draft Vision for Kinship Care includes actions to strengthen existing duties and access to services, and others which would require changes to legislation or guidance, subject to Parliamentary approval. This publication is a working draft for consultation, with further engagement planned in early 2026 before a final version is agreed.

The vision has been informed by the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child and children's rights, is aligned with The Promise and wider work to tackle child poverty, and complements the Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill.

Kinship care refers to situations where a child lives with someone they already know and trust, such as a relative, close family friend or godparent, rather than their parents. The latest Children's Social Work Statistics: Looked After Children 2023-24 showed that kinship care is now the most common placement away from home for looked-after children in Scotland, with 35% of looked-after children in kinship care. The vision applies to all kinship families in Scotland, including those where the child is 'looked after' by the local authority, those with legal orders such as Section 11, and those in private arrangements.