Kinship care | CoramBAAF

Our kinship consultants develops a range of practice notes, briefings and other resources to support our members in their work. They also support the exchange of ideas and good practice at our regular practice forums.

Survey now open!

Tell us about private fostering in your area before 18 July

Once again, we are asking our members to take part in our private fostering survey. CoramBAAF would like to support a better understanding of this often hidden group of children, by asking our members about private fostering in their local authority.

Take the survey

Showcase your work at our 2025 Kinship Care Conference

CoramBAAF invites local authorities to submit examples of innovative kinship care practice for the “Pitching Good Practice” spots at this year’s Kinship Care Conference in London on 13 October 2025.

Call for practice examples

We are inviting professionals to submit their examples of kinship practice for our new ‘Pitching Good Practice’ spots taking place at this year’s conference. We will ask you to present your examples of practice in a side room at break and lunch times, giving our conference delegates the chance to network with you and ask questions about what you offer. You could display a conference poster, or demonstrate the use of tools or resources - we are open to your suggestions.

Apply now

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.

Private 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.

Working 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.

Updated version coming soon

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 now

Incorporating 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’.

In our bookshop

All Books

Kinship care and Special Guardianship: what it is and what it means
By: Hedi Argent
This short, colourful booklet is part of CoramBAAF’s series of publications for children and young people, which aim to explain concepts in adoption and fostering that they may find difficult to understand.

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Kinship care: some questions answered
By: BAAF
This Advice Note explores kinship care, also called family and friends care or connected persons care, providing basic, clear facts for those who may be thinking about looking after a child in this situation.
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Private fostering: what it is and what it means
By: Henrietta Bond
This short, colourful booklet is part of CoramBAAF’s series of publications for children and young people, which aim to explain concepts in adoption and fostering that they may find difficult to understand.
Read more
Unlawful placements in kinship care
By: Ann Horne, Alexandra Conroy Harris, and Augusta Itua
In many situations, the reality of the placement becoming unlawful speaks more to the limitations of the regulations themselves, than whether the placement is the best place for a child to live. In an effort to help practitioners navigate these challenges, we have published the following a practice note.
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Need advice?

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

Get 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.