Kinship care local authority info duties – CA 1989 s.22H
Local authorities must publish a kinship local offer with information on support, financial support, and services, and must consult before publishing.
A local authority must publish— information about the authority’s general approach to supporting— children living in the authority’s area who live in kinship care, and persons living in the authority’s area who are kinship carers; information about financial support which may be available to— children mentioned in paragraph (a)(i), or persons mentioned in paragraph (a)(ii) (in their capacity as kinship carers); information about services mentioned in subsection (2). Those services are services available in the authority’s area which may assist children mentioned in subsection (1)(a)(i) or persons mentioned in subsection (1)(a)(ii)(in their capacity as kinship carers), including services relating to— health and wellbeing; relationships; education and training; accommodation. In subsection (1)(b), the reference to financial support is to financial support whether provided by the local authority or by others (including voluntary organisations). In subsection (2)— the reference to services available in the authority’s area includes services provided by the authority and services provided by others (including voluntary organisations); the reference to services relating to relationships includes services which promote contact between a child and their parents or relatives. Information required to be published by a local authority under this section is to be known as the local authority’s “kinship local offer”. A local authority must take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that children and other persons mentioned in subsection (1)(a) receive the information relevant to them. A local authority must review and update its kinship local offer from time to time, as appropriate. Before publishing its kinship local offer (or any updated version) a local authority must— consult relevant persons about any services that are offered, or may be offered, by the local authority which may assist to improve outcomes for children living in the authority’s area who live in kinship care, and publish a report on the consultation. In subsection (8), “ relevant persons ” in relation to a local authority, means such children living in kinship care, kinship carers and other persons as appear to the local authority to be representative of children living in kinship care and kinship carers in its area, which may include former kinship carers and children who used to be in kinship care. The duty to consult in subsection (8) does not apply in relation to kinship local offers that are published or reviewed before section 5 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 comes into force.
Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
This section requires every local authority in England and Wales to publish a "kinship local offer" – a document explaining how the authority supports children who live with relatives or friends (kinship care) and the people who care for them. The offer must cover the authority's general approach, what financial help is available (whether from the council itself or from other organisations), and what services exist in the area for health, relationships, education and accommodation.
Before publishing or updating the offer the authority must consult with a representative group of kinship carers and children in kinship care, and publish a report on that consultation. It must also take reasonable steps to make sure the information reaches the children and carers who need it. The duty to consult does not apply to offers published or reviewed before section 5 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 comes into force.
The term "kinship care" is defined separately in section 22I. This section is about publishing information – it does not itself set the levels of financial support or list which services must be provided.
When it applies
- A grandmother who is raising her grandson after social services placed him with her wants to know what financial help the council offers.
- A local authority is preparing its first kinship local offer and must decide which kinship carers to invite to the consultation.
- A kinship carer finds the council's published offer is years out of date and no longer lists the support groups that exist in the area.
- A teenager living with an aunt after a family breakdown searches the council website for information about counselling services for young people in kinship care.
- An MP writes to a local authority asking when it last reviewed its kinship local offer and whether it consulted before the last update.
What this section does not say
- It does not decide who qualifies as a kinship carer or what financial support they are entitled to – that depends on other legislation and local policies.
- It does not require any specific service to be provided – only that information about existing services is published.
- It does not apply to private kinship arrangements where no local authority is involved (e.g., a child informally living with a grandparent without a care order or accommodation duty).
- It does not impose duties on health authorities, schools, or voluntary organisations – only on the local authority for the area.
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This page reproduces the text of CA 1989 s. 22H in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.