anyone know anything about kinship care?

[nipersvest]

we need to find out about this process if we can, mil is 74 and has, by default become a kinship carer for her teen grandson (our nephew), and she desperately needs support. social services are involved but when i mentioned kinship care to them, they said they'd never heard of it!

I am an auntie who has brought up my niece. I will get back to you about the legal stuff. I have to go out now and can't chat but can try and answer any questions you have later.

some info here

It very much depends on whether it was a private arrangement or social care were involved in the placing of the child. If it was a private arrangement it is called private fostering and would not be entitled to financial support from social care but could claim cb and ctc. If the child was placed with her there should have been a kinship assessment which took place of her and an approval of her as a cater. She would be entitled to fostering allowance (but cannot claim benefits) and should have a fostering worker.

The arrangement could also be a private legal order (residence order or special guardianship order) where the financial support would be the same as private fostering ( tho for Sgo she could apply for a financial assessment but unless social care were involved in placing the child this is unlikely to be successful.

social services are involved, sil has 3 dc's, all have been under protection orders repeatedly. sil now lost custody and mil had all 3 but couldn't cope, younger 2 are now in official foster care, oldest is still with mil.

mil is retired so has her pension, but nephew needs clothes and stuff for school. we have read that after 6 weeks of caring for a relative, the carer is supposed to be assessed as to if they are up to being a kinship carer, is that right?

cremola - yes, will catch up later, we are having nephew for christmas to give mil a break so have now become involved with social services.

She should seek legal advice. If ss placed the children then she should be assessed but they may try to argue she offered to take them rather than them placing to try bed get out of paying an allowance. In addition to the allowance ds can pay grants for equipment, clothes etc. if not the biggest daily mail fan but there is a kinship care article in there today which highlights the issues.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2516579/The-incredible-families-relatives-children--huge-personal-cost.html

Are the children on any legal orders at present? I would suggest she also seeks support from the family rights group

www.frg.org.uk

Or grandparents group

www.grandparents-association.org.uk