Kinship Care Reforms England 2026: The National Strategy and What It Means for Carers

The legal landscape for kinship carers in England shifted significantly in 2026. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026, embedding several provisions that directly affect grandparents and relatives raising children without a court order. Here is what changed and what it means in practice.

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026

This legislation built on the government's national kinship care strategy, which set out a vision for better recognition and support of kinship families. Section 5 has been in force since 29 June 2026. It requires local authorities to publish information about their approach to supporting kinship families, available financial support and services, and to consult before publishing or updating the offer. This is an information duty; it does not require each authority to provide every listed service or a national allowance.

The Kinship Local Offer

The most consequential change for informal carers is the Kinship Local Offer duty. Every local authority in England must now consult upon and publish a document detailing the financial, practical, and educational support available to kinship carers in their area. Crucially, this duty extends to informal carers — not just those with court orders or formal fostering arrangements.

Before the Act, local authority support for kinship families was patchy. Some councils ran dedicated kinship teams; others offered nothing beyond a helpline number. The Local Offer duty creates a baseline: every council must clearly set out what support is available in its area, including services provided by the council and by other organisations.

What the Local Offer typically includes:

• Financial support available (discretionary kinship allowances, crisis payments)
• Access to parenting support services and peer groups
• Education support, including links to the Virtual School Head
• Housing advice for carers whose accommodation does not suit an extra child
• Contact details for the council's kinship care team

To find your council's Local Offer, search "[your council name] kinship local offer" or contact the council's Children's Services department directly.

Virtual School Head Extension

Since September 2024, Virtual School Heads (VSHs) have had a non-statutory strategic role in relation to children in kinship care and children in need. Section 6 of the Act provides for an expanded statutory duty, but it has not commenced as of October 2026. The current role does not require a VSH to act in an individual child's case.

The VSH's strategic work can include raising awareness of kinship children's needs and promoting good practice. If you are struggling with a school admission or the school's support, contact your local authority's education department to ask what strategic or local support is available.

What Has Not Changed

Some things the reforms did not alter:

School admissions priority. Children in informal kinship care still do not qualify for the top-tier admissions priority given to looked-after children and previously looked-after children. Applications go through standard oversubscription criteria — catchment area, distance, sibling links. Formal kinship care is an express Fair Access Protocol category; an informal arrangement alone does not qualify, though a child may meet another category in the local protocol.

Parental Responsibility. The Act did not create a new route to Parental Responsibility for informal carers. A grandparent or relative still needs a court order (Child Arrangements Order, Special Guardianship Order, or Adoption Order) to acquire PR. The existing delegation provisions under Sections 2(9) and 3(5) of the Children Act 1989 remain the framework for day-to-day authority.

Financial parity with foster carers. The Act did not mandate a national kinship allowance equivalent to foster care allowances. Financial support remains at the discretion of local authorities, though the published Local Offer makes it easier to hold a council to its stated commitments.

How to Use the Reforms

If you are caring for a relative's child informally, the 2026 changes give you two concrete tools:

1. Request your council's Kinship Local Offer. It is a public document. If the council has not published one, they are in breach of the statutory duty — a point worth raising with your local councillor or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

2. Contact the Virtual School Head. If the child is having educational difficulties, ask what strategic support the local Virtual School can offer. As of October 2026, the VSH's kinship role is non-statutory and does not require direct intervention in an individual case.

For the full picture of parental responsibility, consent, school admissions, and GP registration in an informal kinship arrangement, the England kinship consent guide covers every step.

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