Kinship Foster Care vs Informal Kinship Care in England

Relatives raising a child in England may do so informally or as kinship foster carers, and the distinction shapes your legal standing, financial support, and the degree of local authority involvement. The divide is not about how much you love the child. It is about how the arrangement started and whether children's social care is formally involved.

What Informal Kinship Care Looks Like

Informal kinship care — sometimes called a private family arrangement — happens when a relative takes over day-to-day care of a child through an agreement with the parents. No court order, no social worker placement, no formal approval process.

The parent retains full parental responsibility. The carer's authority comes from two provisions in the Children Act 1989: Section 2(9), which lets a parent delegate the exercise of everyday decisions, and Section 3(5), which allows anyone with actual care of a child to do what is reasonable to safeguard their welfare when a parent cannot be reached.

Under Section 576 of the Education Act 1996, an informal kinship carer counts as a "parent" for education purposes, which means you can apply for a school place, receive reports, and manage school communications without a court order. GP registration works similarly — NHS England guidance confirms that practices cannot refuse to register a child because the carer lacks formal legal authority.

The trade-off is financial. Informal kinship carers have no automatic entitlement to a fostering allowance. You can claim Child Benefit (transferred from the parent), apply for free school meals if the household income qualifies, and ask the council about its kinship local offer — but these payments are generally lower than what formal foster carers receive.

What Kinship Foster Care Looks Like

Kinship foster care is a formal arrangement managed by the local authority. The child is "looked after" by the council under Section 20 (voluntary accommodation with parental consent) or under a care order made by the family court. Children's social care assesses the relative through a connected persons assessment and, if approved, places the child with them as a kinship foster carer.

Kinship foster carers receive a fostering allowance from the local authority. The minimum rate follows the national minimum fostering allowance set by the Department for Education, with some councils paying above that. The child is also entitled to the full range of looked-after-children services: an allocated social worker, a personal education plan, regular statutory reviews (chaired by an independent reviewing officer), and health assessments.

The connected persons assessment itself involves DBS checks on all adults in the household, a home environment inspection, interviews about the carer's background and parenting capacity, and an evaluation of whether the placement meets the child's needs. The assessment can feel intrusive, but it exists to confirm the arrangement is safe. A positive assessment can open the door to financial support and formal recognition.

The oversight continues for the duration of the placement. A social worker visits regularly — typically every six weeks in the first year and every three months after that. The carer must follow local authority placement plans and attend review meetings.

Key Differences at a Glance

Legal authority: An informal kinship carer relies on parental delegation and Section 3(5). A kinship foster carer's authority comes from the local authority placement and, where applicable, the care order. Both can manage school and healthcare, but the kinship foster carer has formal backing from children's services when institutions ask questions.

Financial support: Informal carers access Child Benefit, free school meals, Guardian's Allowance (if eligible), and whatever the council's kinship local offer provides. Kinship foster carers receive a fostering allowance that is typically higher, plus access to training, respite, and additional support services.

Oversight: Informal kinship care has no mandatory social worker visits unless there are safeguarding concerns. Kinship foster care involves ongoing statutory oversight — regular visits, reviews, and care plans.

How it starts: Informal care starts between the family members. Kinship foster care starts because children's social care is involved — either the parent agrees to the child being accommodated under Section 20 or the court makes a care order.

How it ends: A parent can end an informal arrangement at any time by taking the child back (though the carer can apply for a court order to prevent this if there are welfare concerns). Kinship foster care ends through the local authority's review process or a court order discharging the care order.

Can Informal Kinship Care Become Formal?

Yes. If children's social care becomes involved — for example, because a safeguarding referral is made or the parent's circumstances deteriorate — the local authority may carry out a connected persons assessment to determine whether you should become a formal kinship foster carer. This does not happen automatically. The local authority decides whether the child meets the threshold for becoming looked after.

Some carers prefer to stay informal because they want to avoid social services oversight. Others actively seek a formal arrangement because of the financial support and institutional recognition. Neither path is inherently better — it depends on the child's circumstances, the parent's situation, and what support you need.

Where to Get Advice

If you are unsure which category applies to your situation, the Kinship charity advice line (0300 123 7015, Monday to Friday) can help you understand your options. The Family Rights Group helpline (0808 801 0366) specialises in situations where social services are involved.

For a structured walkthrough of how informal kinship care works in England — including parental delegation letters, school admissions, GP registration, and medical consent — the Kinship School, GP and Consent Guide covers the process step by step.

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