As we announce the launch of two new evaluations, our Deputy Chief Executive Donna Molloy reflects on our journey to improve the evidence base around kinship care, sharing more about how our new projects will help to fill critical evidence gaps and improve our understanding of how best to support kinship families.

Kinship carers play a crucial role, stepping in to provide children with safe, stable and loving homes and keeping them within their family network. Children in kinship care typically experience fewer placement and school moves and have better behavioural and mental health outcomes than those in non‑kin foster care. Census data suggests more than 140,000 children in England and Wales live in kinship arrangements – most in informal arrangements – yet many kinship families struggle to access tailored support. Kinship carers are also more likely to face financial hardship, live with disabilities, be from a minoritised ethnic background, or be single caregivers.

Kinship care is high on the national agenda, driven by rising numbers of children in kinship arrangements and growing government recognition of the value of supporting children to remain in their family networks. In 2024, the first statutory guidance for kinship care was published and the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill aims to strengthen support and recognition for kinship families, with a requirement for local authorities to publish their local kinship offer. The Children’s Minister has also committed to a pilot of financial allowances for kinship families this year.

Foundations is committed to ensuring that kinship families receive effective, timely support so they can stay together and thrive. To achieve this, it is vital that we understand what kind of support really works for families.

Building the UK evidence base: new pilot evaluations

Despite the important role they play, there remains a lack of high-quality UK evidence on how best to support kinship carers, as the Kinship Care Practice Guide, commissioned by the Department for Education and produced by Foundations in 2024, revealed. Based on the guide’s recommendations, we identified two types of support programmes for kinship families that show promise and need further evaluation in the UK: kinship navigator programmes, and therapeutic support for kinship carers and children in kinship care.

We’ve announced today that we have commissioned a pilot evaluation of Kinship Connected, an intensive 1:1 home and community-based support programme delivered by Kinship, which aims to improve the wellbeing, resilience and stability of kinship families. This will be carried out by the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) and Ipsos.

Navigator programmes like this one are designed to help carers better understand and access the complex landscape of services and support available to them. US evidence shows that these programmes can be effective, particularly in securing permanent placement arrangements for children, but we need more robust UK evidence on this.

We’ve also commissioned a pilot evaluation of The Just Right State – a therapeutic support programme for children in kinship care run by North Tyneside Council, which provides peer support and mentorship for kinship carers. This will be carried out by Verian. The research that underpinned the Practice Guide identified cognitive behavioral therapy-based approaches as effective for kinship carers; we want to find out more about the impact of these approaches in the UK and generate evidence on what works for children.

Looking ahead

From the Kinship Care Practice Guide to today’s announcements, we’re taking steps with our partners to build the evidence base on kinship support, but there’s more to do. The systematic review that informed the guide highlighted how structural inequalities and instances of racism shape the experiences of kinship carers from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. These carers face a disproportionately high risk of missing out on essential support. Both evaluations launched today will examine how programmes engage and support families from minoritised backgrounds, ensuring equity is embedded in both design and delivery.

Going forward, we are funding two qualitative research studies exploring the experiences of minoritised ethnic children and young people in kinship care – an area where evidence is particularly limited. We’ll have more news about this soon.

As national attention grows and local authorities develop stronger kinship offers, there is real momentum behind improving support for these families and recognising the vital role kinship carers play. As the national What Works Centre for Children & Families, we’ll continue to drive evidence-based change and champion effective support for kinship families. By strengthening the evidence on what works for kinship families and working closely with local areas to turn that evidence into practice, we can help ensure kinship carers and their children get the support they need.