The Virtual School can offer advice and support for PLAC, Kinship/SGO care through advice and signposting

A free, confidential and impartial service

• Each school should have a designated teacher who supports PLAC

• Schools receive pupil premium plus directly for each child whose parents or guardians disclose are PLAC

• The Virtual School only provides advice and guidance and does not do case work with PLAC

• The Virtual School does not hold funding for PLAC

• Before any case can be discussed with the Virtual School disclosing names of children parental consent is required.

• From April 2024, eligible working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours childcare support.

• From September 2024, 15 hours childcare support will be extended to eligible working parents of children from the age of 9 months to 3-year-olds.

• From September 2025, eligible working parents of children under the age of 5 will be entitled to 30 hours of childcare a week.

Kinship care is any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. This can be a short term, temporary arrangement. Or it may be longer term.

Someone who is raising a child in this way is known as a kinship carer. Kinship carers used to be known as family and friends’ carers.

Who can be a kinship carer?

A kinship carer may be a relative or family friend. Or they may be someone else who has a connection with the child.

Kinship care can involve someone who is a close relative of the child. The law says a kinship carer is a close relative of the child if they are the child’s:

Grandparent, brother or sister

Uncle, aunt or step-parent

Half-brother and or half-sister who share only one parent.

A close relative also includes someone who is related to the child by marriage or civil partnership. For example, a parent’s husband or wife or stepbrothers and stepsisters.

But a kinship care does not have to involve someone who is a close relative. For example, a kinship carer may be

A close relative of the child’s half-blood brother or sister

Someone who was previously the child’s step-parent. It does not matter if the person has, or ever had, parental responsibility for the child

Someone who used to cohabit with the child’s parent AND had a ‘parent-like’ relationship with the child

A close friend of the child

A close friend of the child’s parent

A close friend of someone who is the child’s close relative. For example a longstanding friend of the child’s grandparent

Someone else who has a connection with the child. Or used to have a connection with the child. Examples may include a teacher, youth worker, childminder or the child’s former foster carer.

There are different types of kinship care arrangements. A kinship carer may be raising a child under:

A private family arrangement

Private fostering 

A ‘lives with’ child arrangements order 

A special guardianship order (SGO) 

Kinship foster care 

Adoption.

The type of kinship care arrangement effects:

What practical and financial support is available to the kinship carer and child

The extent of support likely to be provided to the kinship carer. And to the child

Who has parental responsibility and can make decisions about the child.

This means it is very important for families to have the right information and advice about kinship care. That includes kinship carers and people who are thinking about becoming kinship carers.

PAC-UK's Education Service offers a range of services to enable schools, parents and guardians and education and social care professionals to meet the needs of children who have experienced difficult starts in life.

PLACVirtualSchool@luton.gov.uk

for support with funding