Types of Kinship Care

Find out about formal and informal kinship carers.

Homework

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 carer and the parent(s) that the child will be cared for by the carer. The local authority is not involved
Last modified on 29 April 2025