Today Foundations launches a new funding call for projects to improve our understanding of minoritised ethnic children and young people’s experiences of kinship care. The evidence of racial disparities in kinship care, including barriers to accessing support and negative experiences of kinship care services among some minoritised ethnic families, means that it is crucial we understand the experiences and views of minoritised ethnic children and young people.
The call is timely as local authorities prepare to implement national reforms to children’s social care services, alongside proposed measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that require them to publish details of their kinship offer and the services offered to kinship families.
One in five children living in kinship care households in England and Wales live with carers from a minoritised ethnic group (1), and children from some minoritised ethnic backgrounds are overrepresented in kinship care (formal and informal arrangements) compared to their White peers, including children and young people from Caribbean, African, Mixed, Gypsy or Irish Traveller, and Roma backgrounds.
We know that, despite their strengths, minoritised ethnic kinship care families face significant challenges. Recently published research found that Black and Asian families raising the child of a relative or friend face compounded challenges shaped by structural inequalities, experiences of racism and marginalisation and western cultural normativity. These include:
- Cultural stigma around seeking help
- Limited access to culturally appropriate support
- Mistrust of statutory services
- Feeling judged or overlooked by professionals, who may make racialised assumptions about family support networks, leading to inadequate support.
Kinship carers from minoritised ethnic backgrounds also reported that services aren’t designed in culturally sensitive ways and that professionals lack cultural competence, meaning that services don’t feel suitable for their specific needs, and that they are less accessible to them as a result (2).
The overrepresentation of minoritised ethnic children in informal kinship care raises concerns too around unequal access to legal protection and support. Unlike children in formal kinship foster care who are legally “looked after” and entitled to a care plan, or children under a Special Guardianship Order who can receive a care plan and financial support, children in informal arrangements may receive no support (unless they are considered “in need” under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989).
All of this indicates that minoritised ethnic kinship families experience compounded challenges, because they experience multiple adversities and they don’t get the help that they need. Yet despite this, there are significant gaps in the evidence here (3).
While there is some qualitative evidence about the experiences of kinship carers from minoritised ethnic groups, very few studies capture the perspectives of minoritised ethnic children and young people in kinship care. This means that far too little is known about these children’s experiences and needs, especially their views about identity, belonging, cultural continuity, and trust in kinship services.
It is essential that we fill this evidence gap to enable us to develop more inclusive and culturally responsive policy, services and practice. As local authorities develop stronger offers for kinship families, this work will provide insights into the lived experience of children and young people in kinship care; their needs and challenges; and what helps or hinders their access to support. The findings from funded projects will contribute to national policy development and to our Evidence into Practice programme that supports local authorities to implement reforms to children’s social care, as well as future iterations of the Kinship Care Practice Guide. This work also complements Foundations’ upcoming impact evaluations of kinship support services, helping to build a stronger evidence base in this country.
Dr Aoife O’Higgins, Director of Evidence at Foundations, said: “There’s an urgent need to address the evidence gap about the experiences of minoritised ethnic children and young people in kinship care. We know the carers of these children face barriers when they try to access support, and that they can have negative experiences of the system. Despite this, there simply isn’t enough research on the perspectives of minoritised ethnic children. Our call aims to fill this gap, to help inform more equitable, culturally responsive services.”
Jahnine Davis, National Kinship Care Ambassador, said: “Little is known about the experiences of children in kinship care, especially those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. This project is a valuable opportunity to bring the voices of traditionally marginalised children to the forefront, supporting learning and ensuring practitioners truly understand their experiences. By listening to children and young people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, we can not only better understand their needs but also ensure that practice is rooted in the voices of children, viewed through an intersectional lens, and approached with cultural humility. The paucity of research in this area highlights the importance of this project, and I look forward to learning it will bring, most importantly to the positive impact it could have on ethnic minoritised children in kinship care.”
If you are interested in applying for this funding call, please complete the expression of interest form linked here by 12pm, Friday 5 September 2025. The deadline for applications is 12pm, Thursday 18 September 2025.
For more information on the call, and how to apply, please visit the funding call page here.
Notes:
- Office for National Statistics (2021) Kinship care in England and Wales: Census 2021
- Tah, P and Selwyn, J (2025) Raised by relatives: the experiences of Black and Asian kinship carers in England.
- Ott et al (2024) What interventions improve outcomes for kinship carers and the children in their care
