Kinship care: a journey, not always a destination

Jahnine Davis

In 2021, I was appointed to the Child Safeguarding Review Panel and became the National Kinship Care Ambassador in September 2024. Through my lived and professional experiences, I advocate for children living in kinship care and their families across England. Twelve months into this position, I've met children, parents, carers, extended family members, and professionals across the sector. Each conversation has deepened my understanding of kinship care's complexities and highlighted its vital role in giving children the best start in life.

Children enter kinship care for various reasons—bereavement, parental mental ill-health, safeguarding concerns, and other challenges. The Department for Education supports kinship arrangements through statutory guidance and commissioned practice guides.

Reflecting on a Whole Family Approach

When first briefed on this role, I questioned whether we were taking a sufficiently holistic approach. While carers' experiences must never be overlooked, I found myself asking: Where are the children in this narrative? What do we know about parents and the wider family network?

In this role, my lens must include children, parents, carers, and supporting services. Policy must reflect this comprehensive view.

Listening to Families

This year's journey has taught me that focusing solely on carers, particularly those with Special Guardianship Orders, risks sidelining children's voices and needs, despite best intentions. We also overlook insights from other arrangements especially informal ones, and miss opportunities to understand and support parents navigating difficult circumstances.

Most arrangements are loving, stable, and secure. Yet critical questions remain:

Where's the opportunity for reunification if we're not engaging with parents from the outset while prioritising early permanence? Where's the space for early intervention if we're not identifying and supporting families when needs first emerge? How can we truly understand what children want, need, and feel if conversations are held only from adult perspectives? What support helps keep families together when children move into kinship homes?

Research from Foundations and Coram found that mediation and conflict resolution between parents and carers can improve contact arrangements and alleviate concerns. Regardless of how children enter kinship care, family needs continue evolving—we must view kinship as a journey, and not always a destination.

Year Two Initiatives

To build a more inclusive kinship care landscape, I'm working on some new projects:

A National Research Project focusing on children in kinship care, capturing their voices, launching later this year. The new National Kinship Care Ambassador Board brings together diverse lived experiences, including carers, parents, children, young people, and professionals. The Board first met on 29 September 2025. A Co-Produced Resource with Ofsted will be rolled out to inspectors, increasing awareness and ensuring kinship families are recognised during inspections. This launches in Winter 2025/26 New National Kinship Principles remind partners of core values underpinning work with kinship families. Webinars on the kinship landscape will share learning and support local areas to strengthen their offers. Moving Forward Together

Kinship families’ needs continue to evolve once a placement is made, whether they are the child’s, parents’ or carers’. It is incumbent on all of us as policymakers, practitioners, families, and communities to work together to ensure that every child, regardless of where or with whom they live, can thrive.

Please look out for a future First-Year Report reflecting on my first year in post. This will highlight insights from families and professionals, and showcases local innovation and challenges implementing the local offer of support to kinship families.

Find out more Kinship Carers Liverpool supports kinship carers in the local community  Family Rights Group provides advice and advocacy for families, and champions kinship care Families in Harmony is a specialist kinship care organisation in the UK, founded to serve Black African, Caribbean, and dual heritage kinship carers. 

https://childrenssocialcare.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/06/national-kinship-care-ambassador-2025/

seen at 18:30, 6 October in Children’s social care.