For Families
When a child cannot remain safely in the care of their parents, one of the first things the local authority and the court will consider is whether there is someone already known to the child who could step in. That person might be a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, an older sibling, or a close family friend. They are what the law calls a "connected person." The assessment they go through is fundamentally different from the process a stranger goes through to become an approved foster carer, but the distinction is not always well understood, even by professionals. Having completed many of both types of assessment over the years, I want to explain how they differ and what that means in practice for families.
A connected persons assessment is an assessment of someone who already has a relationship with the child and who is being considered as a potential carer for that specific child. It is carried out under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010. The assessment uses the Form C framework, which is a structured format developed by CoramBAAF specifically for kinship and connected persons assessments. It looks at the proposed carer's background, health, lifestyle, parenting capacity, motivation, the quality of their existing relationship with the child, and their ability to manage the complexities that come with caring for a child who has experienced disruption and loss. If you want a detailed breakdown of what this assessment covers, my guide to connected persons assessments walks through the process step by step.
The critical point is that this is not a general assessment of someone's suitability to foster. It is an assessment of whether this particular person is the right placement for this particular child, at this particular time. Everything is evaluated through the lens of that child's specific needs, history, and circumstances.
A foster carer assessment is an assessment of someone who has applied to become an approved foster carer through a fostering agency or local authority. It uses the Form F framework, which is considerably more detailed and wide-ranging than the Form C. The person being assessed typically has no prior relationship with any specific child. They are being assessed for their general suitability to care for looked-after children, and once approved, they may be matched with a range of children over time.
The Form F assessment is a thorough process that usually takes several months. It covers the applicant's full personal history, relationships, parenting experience, motivation, health, employment, finances, accommodation, support networks, and their understanding of the fostering task. It includes extensive checks, references from personal and professional contacts, and interviews with all members of the household. The completed assessment goes before a fostering panel, which makes a recommendation about whether the applicant should be approved.
The most obvious difference is the starting point. A connected person already knows the child. They may have been part of the child's life since birth. They may have been providing informal care for months before the local authority became involved. A foster carer, by contrast, is starting from scratch with a child they have never met. That distinction shapes everything that follows, from the questions the assessor asks to the way the court considers the evidence.
The legal framework is different too. Connected persons assessments operate under Regulation 24, which allows the local authority to place a child with a connected person on a temporary basis while the full assessment is being completed. This recognises the reality that kinship placements often arise in a crisis, when a child needs to be moved quickly and there is a family member willing to step in immediately. Foster carer assessments follow a more structured approval pathway, with defined stages and timescales leading to a panel recommendation.
The court treats connected persons differently because the Children Act 1989 requires it to. The welfare checklist under section 1(3) includes consideration of the child's background, characteristics, and any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering. A placement with someone the child already knows and trusts, someone who shares the child's cultural and family identity, carries weight in that analysis. The court does not start from a position of neutrality between a connected person and a stranger. All else being equal, a placement that preserves the child's existing relationships and sense of identity will usually be preferred. That does not mean connected persons get an easier ride in the assessment. It means the court recognises that there is inherent value in continuity and belonging.
The research on kinship care is broadly positive. Children placed with family members tend to experience greater placement stability, better emotional wellbeing, and a stronger sense of identity than children placed with unrelated foster carers. They are more likely to maintain contact with their wider family and less likely to experience the repeated placement moves that can be so damaging for looked-after children. For a child whose world has already been turned upside down, being cared for by someone they know can make an enormous difference to how they experience and recover from that disruption.
That said, kinship placements are not without their challenges. The connected person is often dealing with their own complicated feelings about the situation. A grandparent stepping in to care for a grandchild because their own son or daughter cannot manage it safely is carrying a double burden of grief and responsibility. Family dynamics can be difficult to navigate, particularly where there are ongoing relationships with the child's parents, disagreements about what went wrong, or pressure from other family members who have their own views about what should happen. The assessment needs to explore all of this honestly, not because it is looking for reasons to say no, but because the court needs to understand whether the proposed carer can manage those complexities in a way that keeps the child at the centre.
One of the most significant differences between connected persons and foster carers is the support they receive. Foster carers approved through an agency or local authority receive a regular fostering allowance, access to training, an allocated supervising social worker, respite arrangements, and ongoing professional support. The system is designed to sustain them in what everyone acknowledges is a demanding role.
Connected persons carers often receive far less. The financial support available varies enormously between local authorities, and it is frequently lower than what a foster carer would receive for the same child. Some kinship carers are expected to apply for a Special Guardianship Order, which brings its own support package but also transfers significant legal responsibility to the carer and, in many cases, reduces the local authority's ongoing involvement. The practical and emotional support offered to kinship carers is often patchy, with some local authorities providing dedicated kinship support teams and others offering very little beyond the initial assessment. This is a well-documented problem, and organisations like Kinship and the Family Rights Group have been campaigning for years for a fairer deal for connected persons carers. It is an area where the system still falls short.
For a family member who steps forward to care for a child, the assessment process can feel overwhelming. It involves multiple interviews covering every aspect of their life, from their childhood and upbringing to their current relationships, health, finances, and parenting experience. There will be checks with the police, the local authority, and the applicant's GP. Personal references will be taken up. If there are other adults or older children in the household, they will be interviewed too. The assessor will visit the home, observe the proposed carer with the child, and explore in detail how they would manage the day-to-day realities of caring for a child who may have experienced neglect, abuse, or significant emotional harm.
I understand why this process can feel intrusive. You are a family member who has come forward out of love and concern for a child you already know, and suddenly a stranger is asking you detailed questions about your own childhood, your relationship history, and how you manage stress. It can feel as though you are being scrutinised in a way that the child's parents never were. That feeling is understandable, and it is something I am always conscious of in my own practice. The reality is that the assessment exists to protect the child. The court needs to be satisfied that the proposed placement is safe, stable, and capable of meeting the child's needs for the long term. That requires a thorough exploration of the carer's circumstances, strengths, and vulnerabilities. A good assessor will explain why each area is being explored and will approach the process with sensitivity and respect, recognising that the person sitting across from them has not applied for a job but has put their life on hold for a child they love.
From my own experience of completing these assessments, the most important thing is honesty on both sides. The assessment works best when the connected person feels able to be open about their circumstances, their concerns, and their limitations, and when the assessor is transparent about what the process involves and what the court will expect. Nobody is looking for a perfect person. The court is looking for someone who is good enough, who can keep the child safe, who can provide warmth and stability, and who can manage the particular challenges that this placement will bring.
If you are a family member being assessed as a connected person, my advice is always the same. Be honest. Ask questions if you do not understand something. Do not be afraid to say what support you think you will need, because that is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign that you understand what you are taking on. And remember that the assessment, for all that it might feel uncomfortable at times, is ultimately there to give the court the information it needs to make the best decision for the child. If you are the right person for this child, the assessment is your opportunity to show that. If you want to understand how a connected persons assessment might lead into a Special Guardianship Order, my guide to SGO assessments explains what that process looks like and what the court will consider.
The distinction between a connected persons assessment and a foster carer assessment reflects something important about how the family justice system values children's relationships. It recognises that a child's identity, history, and sense of belonging are not incidental to their welfare but central to it. When a family member steps forward to care for a child, they are offering something that no stranger, however well-trained and well-supported, can replicate: a shared history and an existing bond. The assessment process needs to be rigorous, but it also needs to honour that.
Last reviewed: March 2026
An assessment of someone who already has a connection to the child, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or family friend, to determine whether they are suitable to care for the child. It is carried out under Regulation 24 of the Care Planning Regulations and uses the Form C framework.
A foster carer assessment (Form F) assesses someone unknown to the child who applies to become an approved foster carer through a fostering agency or local authority. A connected persons assessment focuses on someone who already has a relationship with the child and is being considered as a specific placement for that child. The legal frameworks, timescales, and support arrangements differ significantly.
Not always. Foster carers approved through an agency receive a regular fostering allowance, training, and ongoing supervision. Connected persons carers may receive a lower allowance or be expected to apply for a Special Guardianship Order with its own support package. Financial and practical support for kinship carers varies significantly between local authorities.