New landmark national study to amplify children’s voices in kinship care

A major new national study aiming to amplify the voices of children in kinship care has been commissioned by the Department for Education, with Coram appointed to lead the research in partnership with National Kinship Care Ambassador Dr Jahnine Davis.

The project, Listening to Children in Kinship Care: A qualitative exploration of lived experience, will run from April to September 2026 and culminate in a final report presented at the CoramBAAF Kinship Care Conference. It will explore the day-to-day realities of children and young people who are raised by relatives or family friends when they are unable to live with their birth parents.

Despite kinship care being the most common form of alternative care arrangement, children’s perspectives remain underrepresented in national policy discussions. The study aims to address this gap by generating new qualitative evidence to inform both government policy and local authority practice.

At the centre of the research is a commitment to participation and co-production. A lived experience youth advisory group—made up of young adults aged 18 to 25 who have grown up in kinship care—will help design and shape the study. This approach is intended to ensure that methods are accessible and responsive to children’s needs.

Hannah Lawrence, Principal Investigator and Senior Research Manager at the Coram Institute for Children, emphasised the importance of this approach: “We're really excited to be working with the National Kinship Care Ambassador and the DfE on this extremely important project.” She added that “hearing directly from children and young people is central to our approach as a research institute,” noting that the findings “will help ensure their experiences inform future policy and practice.”

Working with six local authorities, Coram’s research team will use creative and participatory methods, including storytelling and art, to explore children’s experiences of relationships, identity, support, wellbeing and safety. The findings will be disseminated through national events aimed at policymakers, practitioners and local authorities, with the goal of strengthening kinship care arrangements and improving outcomes.

Dr Davis highlighted the significance of the project in bringing children’s voices to the fore: “I am proud to be leading this research, which shines a national spotlight on the experiences of children in kinship care.” She also pointed to the importance of collaboration, saying she was “pleased to be working alongside Coram, whose expertise in amplifying children's voices brings real added value to this important work.”

She warned that “too often, the perspectives of children in kinship care are missing from the conversations that shape the policies and practices affecting their daily lives,” adding that “this research represents a significant step towards ensuring every child in kinship care is seen, valued and supported to thrive.”

Academic input to the project will be provided by Dr Paul Shuttleworth of Kingston University, who described his involvement as “a privilege.” He said that “listening closely to children in kinship care not only enriches our understanding of what matters most to them, but also strengthens the practical steps we can take to improve their daily lives.” He added that the work “builds on what I've learned from children over many years and helps carry their voices further into policy and practice.”

The study is expected to make a significant contribution to the evidence base around kinship care in England, with sector leaders hopeful it will mark a shift towards more child-centred policy development.