Kinship Care Week, taking place from 6 to 12 October, is a national celebration of the incredible families who step in to care for children when their parents cannot. Across England and Wales, more than 141,000 children are growing up with kinship carers including grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, or close family friends, who provide safe, loving, and stable homes for vulnerable children in their communities.

Foster for East Midlands Councils is proud to celebrate Kinship Care Week and recognise the dedication of kinship carers across the region. These remarkable individuals ensure children remain connected to their families, heritage, and local communities, helping them grow up with stability, love, and belonging.

Across the East Midlands, many children are cared for by relatives or friends through arrangements known as “looking after someone else’s child.” Sometimes this happens informally, while in other cases, local authorities support family members or close friends to become approved foster carers. Other routes include Child Arrangements Orders, Special Guardianship Orders, or private fostering, where councils are notified to ensure children remain safe and supported.

Local Family and Friends Teams offer guidance, training, and advice to help carers feel confident and supported so the children in their care can thrive.

Kinship carers often describe the experience as both rewarding and meaningful, despite the challenges it can bring.

One carer shared:

Being a Kinship Carer means my grandchildren get to stay in a happy, secure family environment where they can be themselves and have strong family bonds. Being a family gives stronger roots for children to grow.

Another said:

Being a kinship carer is so rewarding. Being part of helping to bring up these children and watching them grow into the person they will become is amazing to see.

A third added:

Being a kinship carer is the most rewarding thing I have ever done! It can be challenging at times navigating life to make the best decisions for the child, but seeing them happy and worry-free gives you reassurance you’re doing a good job.

Foster for East Midlands Councils celebrates the extraordinary contribution of kinship carers and the difference they make every day. Their dedication ensures children can stay connected to their families, heritage, and communities, giving them stability and a sense of belonging.

Councillor Nadine Peatfield, representing Lead Council’s Cabinet Member for Fostering for East Midlands Councils, said:

Kinship carers make an extraordinary difference to children’s lives. By stepping in when families need them most, they provide stability, love and a strong sense of belonging. This Kinship Care Week, we want to celebrate their dedication and remind every kinship carer that they are valued, supported and never alone.

This Kinship Care Week, Foster for East Midlands Councils invites everyone to raise a teacup in recognition of kinship families everywhere, a small but powerful way to say thank you to those who go above and beyond to provide children with love, safety, and the strong family roots they deserve.

Watch the film 'This is Kinship Care' which explains more about kinship care.