Kinship care

For children whose parents are unable to look after them for short or long periods of time, kinship care (also called connected persons or family and friends care) provides a child with stability and the chance to stay with people they already know.

Sometimes, it is necessary for us to formalise the arrangement through a legal order, such as a special guardianship or by approving a kinship carer as a long-term  or temporary-connected person's foster carer, depending on the child's needs. Every family's situation is different. 

In this section:
Support for kinship carers in Hillingdon

Support for kinship carers in Hillingdon

The council provides kinship carers with support and training to help them in their caring role, which can be challenging for all the family.

If you are an existing kinship carer in Hillingdon and feel you need support, you can email us at kinship@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 277907.

Kinship

Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales and also provides support for kinship carers and can offer:

  • free in-person and online workshops and events to support kinship carers in their caring role
  • local peer support groups (and specialist support to help set up groups)
  • free advice and information about things, such as benefits, education and housing
  • access to the Kinship Community - for updates, practical tools, tips and information.

Find out more about Kinship


Education support for kinship carers

The Department for Education has extended the duties of the virtual school to support the education of children living in kinship care. Hillingdon virtual school offers:

  • impartial education advice to professionals working with kinship families
  • impartial education advice to carers with Special Guardianship Orders or Child Arrangement Orders
  • a series of resources to support kinship carers in navigating the education system.

Please note: Carers must provide consent prior to any advice being provided to professionals.

For advice, guidance, or resources for your child's education, or if their school needs support, email virtualschoolplac@hillingdon.gov.uk.

Page last updated: 18 Sep 2025