Kinship Carer Week 2026: celebrating the families who step up

Kinship Care Week (5 to 11 October 2026) shines a light on the vital role of kinship carers - relatives and friends who step up to raise a child when their parents are unable to.

According to Kinship, the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales, more than 141,000 children across England and Wales are being raised in kinship care, growing up in loving, stable homes that keep them connected to their family, roots and community.

Kinship carers are grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings and family friends who often take in children at a moment's notice, with little or no preparation. Some care under a legal arrangement, such as a Special Guardianship Order, or as kinship foster carers.

Others raise children informally, without a legal order. Whatever their situation, Kinship says they play a crucial role in giving children, most of whom would otherwise be in the care system, safety, stability and belonging.

This year, we're celebrating the unbreakable bonds at the heart of kinship families, and the communities they build to support one another, while highlighting the realities of caring for a child who has had a difficult start in life. We want the experiences of kinship families to be seen, heard and better understood.

Join us for coffee, cake and a catch-up

This week, members of our team will be at two events, and all kinship carers are welcome:

• Wednesday 7 October, 10am to 12pm: Whitton Community Centre with Clare Luby and Pravashani Naicker
• Wednesday 7 October, 11am: The Pheasantry Café, Bushy Park, with Alex McKee

Find out more about Kinship Care Week on Achieving For Children's website.