Kinship Care Survey
Take part in our Kinship Carers Survey
The survey closes at midday on Monday 15 December 2025.
Kinship Care is when a child lives full-time or most of the time with a relative or family friend, usually because their parents are not able to care for them. We know that when family or friends step in to care for a child, it’s a big commitment filled with love—and sometimes challenges.
As a kinship carer, we'd like you to share your views on the support you need and your experiences to highlight what is working well, as well as identifying where further support might help you and others thrive.
This survey will be used to help draft our Local Offer, that will help you understand what support is available and how to access it and the advice and help we give to carers to work through any problems to find the best way forward.
Your involvement is invaluable as we work together to recognise and celebrate the commitment, resilience, and positive impact that Kinship Carers bring to children’s lives.
Your feedback will enable us to appreciate the strengths within the kinship community and to explore opportunities that could make an even greater difference.
Your insight forms a crucial foundation for shaping future support and ensuring that your voices are heard.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
The Local Offer will be published in April 2026.
Phases
Kinship Care Survey
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship Care is any situation where a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. This could be short or long-term.
These are some examples of Kinship Care:
- Informal – a private family arrangement where a close family member who does not hold parental responsibility raises the child (i.e. the local authority or Family Court have had no role in making the arrangement). Or a child under the age of 16 is being cared for by someone who is not a close relative for less than 28 days. Or a 16 or 17 year old is being cared for by someone who is not a close relative.
- Private Fostering – where a parent arranges for someone who is not a close relative to look after a child under the age of 16 (18 if disabled) for 28 days or more.
- Special Guardianship – where the Family Court grants an order for a friend or family member as the child’s special guardian.
- Kinship Foster Care – also known as Family and Friends Foster Care. This is where the child is considered as “looked after” by the local authority and the person providing the care is approved as a local authority foster carer, either on a temporary or longer term basis.
- Adoption – where the adopter was known to the child as a friend or family member prior to the making of the adoption order.
Accessibility
If you require the information to be provided in an alternative format or language or if you would like to ask any questions, provide further information, please contact kinship@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.
Giving your views
Thank you so much for your time and your views in our survey. This is very much appreciated and is very important in helping us to design an offer that will meet the needs of Kinship Carers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
The survey closes at midday on Monday 3 November 2025.