Types of Kinship Care

To be eligible to receive Kinship Care Allowance in East Renfrewshire the carer must be considered as a 'formal kinship carer'. Local authorities have no responsibility to provide financial support to informal kinship carers who entered a private care arrangement with a friend or family member without any intervention from the local authority.

Formal Kinship Carers

• the child(ren) must have been placed with carers by the local authority
• the child(ren) must be "looked after" by the local authority or have previously been looked after by the local authority or be at risk of becoming looked after
• all appropriate checks including police checks, health checks, disclosures etc do not show any concerns about the suitability of the placement
• a Kinship Assessment, including a financial assessment, has deemed the placement suitable

Informal Kinship Carers

• the child(ren) was not placed by the local authority and not considered a "looked after" child
• there is an informal agreement between the parent(s) and the individual(s) caring for the child(ren) or young person which has not involved the local authority