Kinship Care Week 2026: Celebrating the families who keep children connected
Kinship Care Week runs from 5 to 9 October 2026
This week Ireland marks its third Kinship Care Week, part of Global Kinship Care Week. Led by Kinship Care Ireland, a national programme of the charity Treoir, the week celebrates the grandparents, relatives and close family friends who step in to raise a child.
Kinship care is when a child is raised full-time by grandparents, relatives or close family friends because their parents are unable to care for them. It keeps children connected to their family, community and identity.
Between 10,000 and 12,000 children in Ireland are growing up in kinship care. Without these carers, many of those children would need to enter State care. This year's theme is simple: #KinshipCareCounts.
Why kinship care needs more support
Kinship carers take on huge responsibility, often without recognition or essential support. Kinship care is an essential part of Ireland's alternative care system, and campaigners say it is time it was treated with the importance it warrants.
The call for change is backed by existing national and international commitments:
Programme for Government 2025: commits to "improve support for kinship care to enhance outcomes for kinship families".
The Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use: recommended that kinship carers and children should have the same rights as foster carers and foster children, including legal and monetary rights on a non-means-tested basis.
Young Ireland, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2023–2028: committed to a scoping paper guiding a policy on the rights of children in informal kinship care.
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: the UN has asked Ireland to develop a policy on the rights of children in informal kinship care.
How kinship families and allies can get involved
Kinship Care Ireland is inviting carers across the country to share their experience, both the love and the hidden challenges of kinship care. Whether you are a relative or a close family friend caring for a child, your voice matters.
Use your voice: share Kinship Care Ireland's website and social media with local community services and schools, and explain what kinship care is.
Contact your local politicians: share the politicians' guide and the "What can my Department do?" infographic. Tell them your story and ask them to commit to supporting kinship families, as promised in the Programme for Government 2025.
Share on social media: tag Kinship Care Ireland and use #KinshipCareWeek2026 and #KinshipCareCounts.
Join the celebrations: attend a free event or webinar, and take some time to do something nice for yourself and your family.
Share children's art: send Kinship Care Ireland a photo of artwork by a young person in your household, or anonymous insights they can share.
How organisations can get involved
Kinship Care Ireland is calling on organisations to help raise awareness of kinship care and celebrate the families involved.
Attend a free webinar or event: the information webinar "An Introduction to Kinship Care" takes place on Tuesday 6 October 2026 at 10:30am, so you can be #KinshipCareAware.
Host a coffee morning in your service to raise awareness in your community.
Put kinship care on your next team meeting agenda and discuss how your service can support kinship families.
Include kinship care as a family type in your intake forms or CRM systems, and liaise with Kinship Care Ireland annually to improve data.
Hang Kinship Care posters in your service, take a photo and tag @kinshipcareireland with #KinshipCareWeek2026 #KinshipCareCounts.
Share Kinship Care Week communications on your website, social media, newsletters and local networks and media.
What politicians and Government Departments can do
Kinship Care Ireland is asking TDs and Senators to stand with kinship families this week and beyond. They are asked to read its latest submission and briefing document, use their voice in the Oireachtas and the media, and take real action on the Programme for Government commitment. Politicians are also invited to meet the team, share the campaign with colleagues, post a short reel tagging Kinship Care Ireland, and give kinship carers a seat at the table.
The programme has set out specific asks for six Government Departments. Every Department is asked to work with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality (DCDE) on a cross-departmental Kinship Care Policy, with regular review.
Department of Social Protection
Ensure every child in kinship care receives timely financial support, preventing entry into State care.
Reform the Guardian's Payment into a Kinship Care Allowance aligned with the Foster Care Allowance and the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL), with a higher rate for children aged 12 and over.
Recognise apprentices aged 18–22 as being in full-time education for the Guardian's Payment.
Ensure Disability Allowance from age 16 does not reduce kinship carer payments, as is the case in foster care.
Fast-track Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Child Benefit, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and Fuel Allowance, with compassionate means-testing for new carers.
Ensure the Living Alone Allowance and solo-parent supports are not lost when caring for a child.
Protect kinship carers' employment, leave and pension rights when they step in to care.
Train staff to recognise kinship care, improve signposting and provide trauma-informed support.
Raise awareness of all financial supports to increase uptake and reduce child poverty.
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
Deliver a cross-government Kinship Care Support Package, informed by policy, evidence and lived experience.
Recognise all kinship families in policy and legislation, regardless of legal status or pathway into care.
Embed children's voices, rights and best interests in all kinship care decisions.
Establish early identification, referral and support pathways when kinship care begins.
Guarantee trauma-informed assessments, therapeutic supports, carer training, respite and family support.
Ring-fence sustainable funding for kinship peer support through Kinship Care Ireland, Family Resource Centres and community services.
Fund local Kinship Hubs for information, advocacy, referrals and community awareness.
Improve Tusla engagement, data collection and the national visibility of kinship care.
Train Tusla and public sector staff in kinship-informed practice, with dedicated local kinship care contacts.
Provide sustainable multi-annual funding for Treoir's Kinship Care Ireland programme.
Strengthen safe reunification and protection pathways for children and domestic abuse survivors.
Embed kinship care across family and care policy, with clear representation, accountability and regular review.
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Reform succession rules across all local authorities so children can stay in their family home with kinship carers after a parent's death.
Provide accessible home improvement grants to reduce overcrowding.
Train housing staff to recognise kinship care and deliver trauma-informed support.
Record kinship care on Housing Registration Forms and CRM systems to improve national data.
Recognise kinship care as care experience when assessing housing priority.
Department of Justice
Introduce Special Guardianship or Kinship Care Orders, enabling timely guardianship and access to medical and therapeutic care.
Simplify legal pathways and processes for kinship families.
Reduce court costs and delays through free or affordable legal aid.
Ensure children's voices are heard in guardianship proceedings.
Strengthen safe reunification and protection pathways for children and domestic violence survivors.
Deliver a health-led drug response with the Department of Health, implementing the 161 Joint Oireachtas Committee and Citizens' Assembly recommendations, including the eight on kinship care.
Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Recognise kinship care as care experience, ensuring equal access to SUSI, bursaries, access programmes and mentoring.
Remove guardianship barriers, means-testing and complex estrangement evidence requirements for kinship-care students.
Train Access Teams and student services to support young people in kinship care, young kinship carers and carers returning to education.
Department of Health
Guarantee non-means-tested Medical Cards for all children in kinship care.
Prioritise health assessments, developmental screening, mental health and therapeutic supports, equivalent to formal care.
Provide trauma-informed supports, respite, carer health services and supports for older carers.
Develop a health-led response for kinship families affected by parental substance misuse, with the Department of Justice.
Ensure health services recognise kinship care, improve signposting and capture national data.
Raising the child of a loved one? You are a kinship carer
Kinship Care Ireland can help you know your rights and entitlements, access financial supports such as the Guardian's Payment, navigate services, and connect with peer support groups.
Contact Kinship Care Ireland
Phone: 01 6700 120
Website: www.kinshipcare.ie
Email: info@kinshipcare.ie
Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn: @kinshipcareireland
Kinship Care Ireland is a national programme of the charity Treoir, supported by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Join the conversation this week with #KinshipCareWeek2026 and #KinshipCareCounts.