Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on levels of financial support for kinship carers; and whether that guidance sets out how those amounts differ (a) depending on the amount of children a person has in kinship care and (b) if a person has their own children at home.

The government issued statutory guidance in 2011 for local authorities about supporting family and friends providing care for children who cannot live with their parents. The guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. It explains that support, including financial support, can be provided under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. There is no limit on the level of support, including financial support, that local authorities can provide. The guidance does not specifically address the issue of supporting more than one child or where the family have their own children. However, these factors will be taken into account in the assessment of need of the family. The local authority should have in place clear eligibility criteria in relation to the provision of support services including financial support.