Approximately one in ten children around the world live in kinship care. This form of care is both the most widely used and the most valued option for children who cannot be cared for by their parents. Yet it is also neglected by policymakers and practitioners, placing children at great risk.
Kinship caregivers are often expected to look after children with no or minimal support, and greater emphasis is placed by many governments on more formalised forms of care outside of children’s families. The failure to support kinship care exposes already highly vulnerable children to further risk, including mental health problems, poverty, discrimination and exploitation.
This is why we have launched this community of practice to support practitioners to raise awareness of the issues associated with kinship care; share knowledge; help evidence the benefits, and solve problems by further identifying support needs and how we can overcome challenges.