EDI Exploring Expertise
Kinship care from JA to UK - Family dynamics, culture and gender context
20 May 2025 | 9.45am - 1pm | Zoom
There is still limited knowledge about the needs of African and Caribbean kinship care families despite national reforms. Sharon McPherson from Families in Harmony explored this gap in Jamaica using interviews with kinship caregivers and professionals.
Supporting families living with care experienced children's challenging, violent or aggressive behaviour
29 May 2025 | 11.30am - 1pm | Zoom
The session will present insights from Al Coates' international Churchill Fellowship Report, focusing on support models and interventions for families managing children with care experience who exhibit challenging and violent behaviour, which is more common among kinship carers and adoptive parents than the general population.
Developments in attachment research
17 July 2025 | 11.30am - 1pm | Zoom
Attachment theory has evolved significantly since its introduction by Bowlby and Ainsworth, with major developments since the 1990s. Professor Robbie Duschinsky's webinar will explore these changes and their implications for practice with children and families.
News and updates
SAVE THE DATE
Kinship Care Conference 2025
13 October | 9:30am - 4:30pm | London
CoramBAAF's Kinship Care Conference is a key event in the calendar of social work practitioners working alongside kinship families. The day aims to create a supportive and collaborative learning experience to empower practitioners with up to date knowledge and current best practice.
Kinship Care Assessment (Form K) England
CoramBAAF is excited to publish the new Kinship Care Assessment (Form K) England. The change in name from 'Form C' to 'Form K' reflects the national policy reform agenda and a growing awareness of the complexity and importance of kinship care.
The new assessment amplifies the voice of the child, and the relationship between the child and the prospective kinship carer. It draws out strengths and highlights support needs. It enables a relationship-based and reflective assessment process that gathers and analyses the information required to inform decisions about a child’s future care.
The form can be used for both approval of kinship foster carers and recommendations for special guardianship orders; it is compliant with relevant law, regulations and statutory guidance. It includes an integral support plan and detailed guidance.
From Form C to Form K: the new standard for assessment
To align with the national policy reform agenda and address the complexity and importance of kinship care, we have collaborated with carers, practitioners, managers and parents to review Form C resulting in the creation of Form K to enable comprehensive assessments of prospective kinship carers.
Read morePrivate Fostering
Private fostering is a private arrangement made between a parent and a responsible adult for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled). The person who will be looking after the child is not a parent or close relative of the child, and the arrangement is planned to last for at least 28 days.
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Private foster carers may be from the extended family such as a cousin or great aunt. A private foster carer may be a friend of the family, the parent of a friend of the child, or someone previously unknown to the child’s family who is willing to privately foster the child.
Find out moreWorking with Ukrainian children and families
Top ten tips for social workers working with Ukrainian children
For those wanting a summary about how they can support Ukrainian children in kinship care families read our top ten tips!
This is a condensed version of our 'Frequently Asked Questions' resource,- we have included the headlines and key points from our longer document to offer a shorter and accessible version as an introduction to the topic.
Supporting kinship carers of Ukrainian refugee children (2024)
Read the latest version of our FAQs which has been updated to reflect the changes to visa schemes. We have produced a set of comprehensive FAQs to help professionals navigate the tricky interface between social care and immigration law.
Download nowIncorporating what matters to children into practice with kinship care
We are delighted to be able to publish Dr Paul Shuttleworth's latest work, ‘Incorporating what matters to children into practice with kinship care: Listen, Understand, Do’.
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Listen, Understand, Do
A practical guide to listening to children living in kinship families to help ensure that their voices and views are heard and acted upon.The guide is accompanied by a short video that powerfully illustrates the importance of listening to children.
Find out moreAdvice
Information for kinship carers
Wherever possible children who cannot live with their birth parents should be looked after by family members, friends of the family or someone they know well. There are different legal frameworks for this care. Similarly, if you are a step-parent and you want to formalise your relationship to your stepchild, several options are available to you to give the child security.
Browse our advice and information
Placing a child abroad?
The Outbound Permanence Service provides specialist information & advice on the legal, assessment and support options available in the overseas country.
Get adviceGet involved
Our multidisciplinary groups and provide a platform to our members so we can advocate on their behalf to Government, and ensure that their voices are heard in the development of legislation, policy and practice.
Kinship Care Practice Forum
Discuss developing areas of policy and share views at our Kinship Care Practice Forum.
Private Fostering Practice Forum
Discuss developing policy and practice dilemmas in Private Fostering arrangements.
Find out more