Section 22H — Children Act 1989: Kinship care: information

Kinship care: information 22H 1 A local authority must publish—

a information about the authority’s general approach to supporting—

i children living in the authority’s area who live in kinship care, and ii persons living in the authority’s area who are kinship carers;

b information about financial support which may be available to—

i children mentioned in paragraph (a)(i), or ii persons mentioned in paragraph (a)(ii) (in their capacity as kinship carers);

c information about services mentioned in subsection (2).

2 Those services are services available in the authority’s area which may assist children mentioned in subsection (1)(a)(i) or persons mentioned in subsection (1)(a)(ii)(in their capacity as kinship carers), including services relating to—

a health and wellbeing;

b relationships;

c education and training;

d accommodation.

3 In subsection (1)(b), the reference to financial support is to financial support whether provided by the local authority or by others (including voluntary organisations).

4 In subsection (2)—

a the reference to services available in the authority’s area includes services provided by the authority and services provided by others (including voluntary organisations);

b the reference to services relating to relationships includes services which promote contact between a child and their parents or relatives.

5 Information required to be published by a local authority under this section is to be known as the local authority’s “kinship local offer”.

6 A local authority must take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that children and other persons mentioned in subsection (1)(a) receive the information relevant to them.

7 A local authority must review and update its kinship local offer from time to time, as appropriate.

8 Before publishing its kinship local offer (or any updated version) a local authority must—

a consult relevant persons about any services that are offered, or may be offered, by the local authority which may assist to improve outcomes for children living in the authority’s area who live in kinship care, and b publish a report on the consultation.

9 In subsection (8), “ relevant persons ” in relation to a local authority, means such children living in kinship care, kinship carers and other persons as appear to the local authority to be representative of children living in kinship care and kinship carers in its area, which may include former kinship carers and children who used to be in kinship care.

10 The duty to consult in subsection (8) does not apply in relation to kinship local offers that are published or reviewed before section 5 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 comes into force.