This review sought to understand the evidence of programmes and policies to improve the outcomes of kinship carers and the children in their care. The review also explored carer and practitioner perspectives on how interventions can best serve them. Kinship care can lead to better outcomes for children, despite kinship carers facing additional challenges compared to other foster carers (e.g. navigating kin relationships, being more likely to live in poverty). 

The review sought to answer the following research questions: 

1. What interventions for kinship families improve the outcomes for children in kinship care (e.g. safety, permanence, and wellbeing) and for kinship carers (e.g. wellbeing, confidence in parenting, relationship with child in care)? 
2. Are there interventions/programmes that are particularly effective with different groups of carers and children (e.g. disabled or carers or children from minoritised ethnic backgrounds)? 
3. Are there common elements shared by effective interventions? 
4. What are the enablers and barriers to successful implementation of interventions for kinship carers and children in kinship care in the UK? 
5. What are the perspectives of kinship carers and children in kinship care on the acceptability and usefulness of different interventions in the UK?

Key findings

• The studies emphasised that kinship families have unmet needs, and that different types of programmes can meet these needs. These programmes can ultimately help to improve the outcomes for children in care, such as behaviour, wellbeing and placement stability, and kinship carers, such as parenting skills, wellbeing and access to support.
• The six studies that looked at the experiences of kinship families and practitioners showed that support designed specifically for kinship families is both needed and welcomed. The research highlighted the value of trust, peer support and relationship building in programmes for kinship families.
• The studies of measurable outcomes indicate that programmes specifically designed for kinship families show promise in helping to improve the lives of kinship caregivers and the children in their care. This is particularly evident in three types: 
  1. programmes that help kinship caregivers navigate local and national services
  2. parenting programmes for kinship carers
  3. financial support guardianship for kinship carers.