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- admin@kinshipalliance.org.au
- 08 8212 1937
About Us
Background
The United Nations General Assembly (2010) describes kinship care as ‘family-based care within the child’s extended family or with close friends of the family known to the child, whether formal or informal in nature’.
It is widely believed that most kinship carers are grandparents, however current Australian data suggests that around half of all kinship carers are other relatives or family friends. Australian 2011 census data suggested that over 100,000 children were in kinship care at that time.
Over 80% of the identified kinship care families were providing care on an informal basis, that is, without recognition or financial support by child protection authorities (Kiraly et al, 2021; Kiraly, 2023). With population increase, the number of children in kinship care in 2024 can be confidently estimated to far exceed 100,000.
Indigenous children and families are over-represented (Kiraly et al, 2021).
Vision
A country that provides financial and professional support to all children in kinship care and their caregivers as needed to ensure they can thrive and achieve their life goals.
Mission
To raise awareness, advocate for policy changes that recognise and address the needs of all kinship carers and the children in their care. State/Territory matters specific to formal kinship care are beyond the remit of Kinship Alliance Australia.
Activities
- Act as a national voice for organisations supporting kinship care families to advocate for better recognition and support.
- Organise awareness campaigns to highlight the contributions and challenges faced by kinship care families.
- Engage in lobbying efforts with Federal authorities to amend existing legislation and enact new laws that recognise and support kinship carers and children in their care.
- Collaborate with the Parliamentary Friends of Grandparent and Kinship Carers to facilitate communication between Members of Parliament, kinship carers and children/young people in their care, in order to promote legislative and policy change.
- Make submissions to relevant government inquiries and invitations for feedback.
- Seek funding to support the costs of advocacy activities.
- Other actions as decided from time to time.
Advocate for Legislative Changes
- Amend the Carer Recognition Act 2010 to recognise all kinship carers.
- Pass legislation to rename the Foster Child Health Care Card.
- Establish a Commonwealth Informal Relative Caregiver Statutory Declaration.
- Review the Double Orphan Pension and institute an Unsupported Child's Benefit.
- Revisit other relevant recommendations of the 2014 & 2015 Senate Inquiries.
- Other legislative initiatives as decided from time to time.
