National Guidance on Part 13: Support for Kinship Care published

Date: 10th August 2016
Category: Looked after children
Author: Centre for Excellence for Looked after Children

New guidance to support the implementation of Part 13 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, and on the associated Kinship Care Assistance (Scotland) Order 2016 is now available.

There are many children who may live with family and friends at some point during their childhoods. This could be due to parents in prison, drug and alcohol problems, mental health issues, bereavement, illness, and absence, as well as neglect and abuse. Grandparents, aunties, uncles, older siblings and others can provide the love, nurture and stability that children need during these times. This is known as kinship care.

New guidance to support the implementation of Part 13 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, and on the associated Kinship Care Assistance (Scotland) Order 2016 is now available. The guidance is split into two parts:

- the legal parameters of a kinship care order;
- the relevant kinship care assistance including information and advice and the financial support available with the cost of applying for a kinship order.

It explains what kinship care assistance is, who is eligible and how it is to be made available. It also sets out the duties of local authorities to provide kinship care assistance.

The guidance was developed by Scottish Government in collaboration with CELCIS.

• Download the guidance here.