About Kinship International Network (KIN)
In October 2014 Kinship Carers Victoria hosted a meeting , in London, attended by thirteen delegates drawn from Australia, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
Delegates confirmed their commitment to several shared beliefs about kinship care. First, that it is beneficial to children if they are raised by a member of their extended family or friends, if their birth parents are unable to do so. Secondly, that agencies and governments across the world should work to provide programs and policy that empower and enable kinship carers to fulfil their role.
It was agreed that KIN should work to:
- Promote kinship care – it delivers excellent outcomes for the children and is the only form of out-of- home-care that keeps the child within its biological family
- Highlight programs and research that document the outcomes of kinship care
- Advocate on behalf of kinship carers to ensure that their views are central in any discourse about kinship care
- Support KIN members in their endeavours related to kinship family care
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Delegates recognised the importance of the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and resolved to align the work of KIN to its intent and articles.
Delegates identified the following issues for attention (references are to the relevant articles in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child):
- The poverty and disadvantage that kinship carers often suffer, (Articles 7, 8, 27 )
- The need for systems supporting kinship care families to be better coordinated, particularly at a local level (Articles 7, 8, 20)
- The need to empower and enable kinship carers to be heard in public discourses (Article12)
- The need for advocates that assist kinship families to be better able to navigate the systems and find resources (Article 20)
- The need for programs that assist kinship care families to overcome isolation (Articles 20)
Five “Convention” articles given priority
Delegates prioritised a number of clauses from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that impact on the work of kinship carers and that are in need of immediate attention:
• Article 12 – Respect for views of child
• Article 20 – Children deprived of family environment
• Article 27 – Child’s right to adequate standard of living
• Article 07 – Birth registration, name, nationality and right to be cared for by parents
• Article 08 – Preservation of identity.
After that initial meeting Kinship Carers Victoria maintained contact with the agencies represented at the meeting. However, the impact of job losses and Covid had the effect of the original founding membership being fragmented as agencies disbanded, jobs were cut and people moved on.
In 2025 Kinship Carers Victoria has undertaken to resurect KIN as a vehicle for sharing kinship care related news from around the world.
Contact: Anne McLeish: [email protected]