Kinship Assessment Process | Children and Families Newcastle

When a child comes into our care, we will try to place them with relatives if possible. We can also consider family friends or someone else the child knows.

Birth parents can suggest a carer. Family and friends can offer to care for the child.

Newcastle City Council must make sure children are safe and cared for. We must assess you if you want to care for a 'looked after' child. Even if you already have a close family relationship.

As part of the assessment, we will:

Visit your home to carry out an initial screening.
May offer short term approval while we do more assessments.

We may:

Assess and approve you as a kinship foster carer.
Ask you to become the child's legal guardian.

Grandparents with small child who is pointing

Initial Screening

This is the first visit by a social worker. We want to check if you are suitable and your home is safe.

Short Term Approval

Is for kinship carers who are already looking after the child. This can be given while further assessments are carried out.

Foster Care Approval

Kinship carers sometime foster the child they are caring for. They must be assessed like other foster carers.

Legal Orders

Many kinship carers want parental responsibility. Social workers assess families applying for legal orders: these include Special Guardianship Orders and Child Arrangements Orders.

Kinship Care homepage