As we mark Kinship Care Week, we’re celebrating the relatives and family friends who step in to care for children when they need it most. Across the UK, India and Tanzania, kinship carers play a vital role in helping children stay safe, supported and connected to the people who know them best.
Author: Amy Wright | Date: 7th October 2026
Kinship care is when a child is looked after by a relative or close family friend instead of their parents.
This could be a grandparent, aunt, uncle, older sibling or another trusted adult who steps in to provide a safe and stable home when a child’s parents are unable to care for them.
For many children, kinship care can be a lifeline. It allows them to remain connected to their family, culture, community and support networks while receiving the care and protection they need.
Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, loving and nurturing environment.
When children experience family breakdown, neglect, abuse, poverty or other challenges, being able to stay with someone they know and trust can reduce the trauma of separation and provide much-needed stability.
Research and experience from around the world show that children generally have better outcomes when they can remain in a family environment rather than entering institutional care.
Kinship carers provide more than a roof over a child’s head. They offer continuity, belonging, emotional support and a sense of identity during some of the most difficult periods of a child’s life.
At Railway Children, we believe the best place for a child is within a safe and loving family.
That’s why much of our work focuses on preventing family separation before it happens. We work with children and families facing challenges such as poverty, conflict, abuse and neglect, helping them overcome difficulties and stay together wherever it is safe to do so.
By strengthening families and communities, we can often prevent children from having to leave home in the first place.
Sometimes, children are unable to remain with their parents safely. When that happens, we work with families and communities to identify trusted relatives or carers who can provide the love, stability and protection every child needs.
Across India and Tanzania, many of the families we support include kinship carers who have stepped in to care for children experiencing difficult circumstances.
We provide practical support, guidance and ongoing assistance to help these carers meet children’s needs and create stable family environments where they can thrive.
This approach helps keep children connected to family and community life while reducing the need for institutional care.
Kinship care is one example of a wider approach known as family-based care.
Rather than separating children from everyone and everything they know, family-based care recognises the importance of relationships, identity and belonging. It prioritises helping children grow up in safe families and supportive communities.
This principle sits at the heart of Railway Children’s work across the UK, India and Tanzania. Whether we’re supporting families to stay together, helping children return home safely or working with kinship carers, our goal is the same: to ensure every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable and loving home.
Celebrating kinship carers
This Kinship Care Week, we’re recognising the grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and family friends who open their homes and hearts to children when they’re needed most.
Their care, commitment and compassion help children feel safe, valued and connected to the people who matter most.
Because every child deserves the love and support of a family.
Hundreds of Railway Children supporters raised £46,256 across two of the charity’s flagship autumn events – walking London’s Piccadilly Line overland and taking on a climb, cycle and kayak route through the Lake District.
The three-day route took cyclists from Ebbsfleet International to Dover, Dover to Brighton and Brighton to London Waterloo, raising vital funds to support vulnerable children.
Railway Children will feature in a special BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal this September, shining a light on the challenges faced by street children in Tanzania and the life-changing support available through our work.
Discover how charitable giving can reduce inheritance tax, support the causes you care about and potentially leave more for your family and favourite charities.
Kinship care enables children to stay with relatives or trusted family friends when they cannot live with their parents. Find out why it matters and how Railway Children supports family-based care across the UK, India and Tanzania.
We’re proud to highlight how our initiatives are empowering young girls in vulnerable communities.
