The need for supporting kinship families in Scotland
Categories: Research using linked data, Reports, Research findings, ADR Scotland, Children & young people, Health & wellbeing, Housing & communities, Inequality & social inclusion
8 October 2024
A report from researchers at the Scottish Centre for Administrative Data Research (SCADR) and the Centre for Excellence for Children’s Care and Protection (CELCIS) has provided new insights into the experiences of children growing up in kinship care in Scotland. The study, the first of its kind, linked multiple data sources – including the Looked After Children Longitudinal dataset, health visit data, and child protection records – to explore the lives of more than 19,000 children in kinship care from 2008 to 2019. SCADR is part of ADR Scotland.
Key findings include a significant rise in children in kinship care, increasing from 16% of children in care in 2008 to 29% by 2019. Two out of five of these children experienced no other form of care, such as foster or residential care. The report also noted that while educational outcomes have improved, additional support is still needed, especially in areas of deprivation where kinship care is more common.
The research also highlighted regional differences in the likelihood of children being placed with kinship carers and raised concerns about children in unofficial kinship arrangements, for whom there is limited data.
The study calls for further research into these unofficial arrangements and ongoing support for kinship carers, who often care for children with complex needs. It emphasises that timely and updated data is essential to fully understand the challenges and to ensure appropriate support is in place for all kinship families.
The full report and accompanying Data Insight are available online. ADR Scotland has also funded an info-comic and GIFs (one, two, three) as part of their work to make research findings more accessible to young people.