Member

Amendment 31 speaks to the challenges that potential kinship carers sometimes have in being assessed and approved as kinship foster carers. This can happen when the flexibilities set out in the kinship care statutory guidance are not known or applied by fostering panels or agency decision-makers. The guidance makes it clear that panels and agency decision-makers should not reject a potential kinship foster carer solely on the basis of their not having met the national minimum standards for foster carers. If the kinship foster care placement is in the child’s best interests, it should be considered for approval.