Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made a recent assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the adequacy of Government support for kinship families for (a) household bills and (b) other areas.

The department recognises the important role that kinship carers play in looking after children through kinship arrangements, and are aware that many kinship carers make great sacrifices to fulfil this role.

The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care made a set of bold and ambitious recommendations which seek to improve the financial and practical support kinship carers receive, and the department is due to respond to those recommendations early in early 2023.

Statutory guidance issued to local authorities already makes it clear that children and young people should receive the sufficient support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. All local authorities should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services.