fostering in pembrokeshire

Kinship Care Week (5 – 11 October 2026) is a time to shine 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.

Across England and Wales, more than 141,000 children are being raised in kinship care, growing up in loving and stable homes that keep them connected to their families, roots and community.

Kinship carers are grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and family friends who take in children often at a moment’s notice and with little to no preparation. They may be caring under a legal arrangement like a Special Guardianship Order or as a kinship foster carer or be raising children informally without a legal order. Whatever their situation, they all play a crucial role giving children, most of whom would otherwise be in the care system, safety, stability and belonging.

This Kinship Care Week, 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 stepping up to care for a child who has had a difficult start in life.

Because kinship families should be recognised, valued and supported – and Kinship Care Week is a key opportunity to come together to celebrate all that they do every single day.

This Kinship Care week we want the experiences of kinship families to be seen, heard, and better understood. Learn more about the different ways you can get involved in the Week by using Kinship’s digital toolkit: https://kinship.org.uk/get-involved/kinship-care-week/kinship-care-week-digital-toolkit-for-kinship-carers/

Here are the top four things you can do to support Kinship Care Week:

• Raise awareness by sharing information about kinship care and local kinship carer support in local libraries, local authority websites, local shops etc. with the help of the Kinship digital toolkit. Charity Kinship provides free Kinship workshops, roadshows, expert advice and peer support groups to give kinship carers practical tools and advice to support their families and connect with other kinship carers.
• Follow Kinship’s social media and share the information Kinships posts about #KinshipCareWeek.
• Host a tea party for kinship carers or kinship families in your local area. Kinship Care Week tea parties hosted by Kinship support groups are special moments of connection where you can grab a cuppa, some cake, have a chat and celebrate all kinship families.
• Engage with your MP or Local Councillor. Invite them to a support group if you have one or ask them for a meeting. Contact local media about it and any activities you get up to with the help of the Kinship digital toolkit.

Thank you for supporting Kinship Care Week.