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Overview

The Kinship Care Bill aims to provide legal recognition and support for kinship carers—relatives, friends, or extended family members raising children whose parents cannot. The bill introduces a kinship care allowance, kinship care leave, and improvements to education support for these children.

Description

This bill defines "kinship care" encompassing various arrangements including adoption by a relative, kinship foster care, special guardianship, kinship child arrangements, private fostering, and informal private family arrangements lasting at least 28 days. It establishes a process for proving kinship care arrangements to access benefits and supports.

Kinship Care Allowance

The bill introduces a weekly kinship care allowance for carers in England involved in eligible kinship care arrangements (special guardianship, kinship child arrangements, private fostering, or private family arrangements). The allowance's rate will be set by the Secretary of State, no lower than the minimum allowance for foster carers. Multiple carers of the same child will need to agree which receives the allowance.

Kinship Care Leave

The bill amends the Employment Rights Act 1996 to provide kinship care leave. Regulations will determine eligibility conditions, leave duration (at least 52 weeks, possibly shared between carers), and other aspects. Returning carers will be entitled to their previous job (or a comparable one), but not necessarily their previous pay. The Secretary of State may introduce paid leave.

Education Provisions

The bill extends the pupil premium to children in eligible kinship care arrangements, providing schools with additional funding. It will also revise the school admissions code to give preference to children in kinship care or who are looked after by the local authority. Local authorities will also be responsible for supporting the education of kinship care children, appointing designated officers for this purpose.

Government Spending

The bill will increase government spending through the introduction of a kinship care allowance and the extension of the pupil premium to children in kinship care. Exact figures are not yet available, pending details on the allowance rate and other parameters established through regulations.

Groups Affected

• Kinship carers: Will potentially benefit from a weekly allowance, paid leave, and improved access to support services for the children in their care.
• Children in kinship care: Will benefit from additional funding for their schools and potentially from priority in school admissions.
• Employers: Will need to comply with the new kinship care leave regulations.
• Schools and local authorities: Will receive additional funding through the pupil premium and will need to adjust their admissions and support processes.
• Government: Will face increased spending to fund the allowance, pupil premium extension, and administrative processes.