This paper, a collaboration between EveryChild and HelpAge International, is the latest in EveryChild's Positive Care Choices series of papers on children's care options. The paper demonstrates how the vast majority of children outside of parental care are cared for by relatives, most commonly grandparents. The benefits of kinship care for children and carers alike are numerous, and many children express a strong preference to be cared for by grandparents if they cannot be cared for by their parents. Yet, support to kinship care is woefully inadequate, with most kinship carers bringing up often traumatised and vulnerable children with little or no assistance. The paper calls for greater prioritisation to be given to supporting kinship carers and the children in their care, including ensuring such households are able to access social protection, and receive psycho-social and health care support and assistance with education where needed. The paper acknowledges that kinship care is not appropriate or available for all children, and other care options must also be provided.
