Demographics & Characteristics
Updated: Sep 20
Sibling kinship care is a distinct form of kinship care. While kinship carers can include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends and other people connected to a child, sibling kinship carers are brothers and sisters who take on the primary responsibility for caring for a younger sibling.
Research suggests that sibling kinship carers can have different experiences and circumstances from other kinship carers, particularly grandparents. Sibling carers are often younger, may be at a different stage of life, and may have had little or no experience of parenting before becoming responsible for a younger brother or sister. The evidence base specifically about sibling kinship care remains limited. Much of what we know comes from wider kinship-care research, older population studies and research comparing different types of kinship carers.
How many children live in kinship care?
Kinship care is a significant part of the way children are cared for in the UK. Using 2001 Census data, Selwyn and Nandy (2014) estimated that approximately 173,200 children in the UK were being raised by relatives. Their analysis suggested that siblings accounted for a substantial proportion of these arrangements, although the estimates varied considerably across the UK:
England – 38%
Scotland – 37%
Northern Ireland – 49%
Wales – 22%
These figures come from historical population data and should not be interpretedas a current estimate of the number of children living in sibling kinship care. Theydo, however, demonstrate that sibling care has long been an important part of the wider kinship-care landscape (Selwyn & Nandy, 2014). More recent research continues to identify kinship care as an important part of children's social care, although there is still no comprehensive national dataset that tells us exactly how many children in the UK are being raised by older siblings (McCartan et al., 2018; Department for Education, 2024).
Most sibling kinship care is informal
One of the most important characteristics of sibling kinship care is that many arrangements take place outside the formal care system. Earlier research estimated that more than 95% of kinship care arrangements were informal, meaning that the child was living with relatives without a formal fostering arrangement or court order (Selwyn & Nandy, 2012). This is important because informal carers may not automatically receive the same financial, practical or emotional support that is available to formal kinship foster carers.
It can also mean that sibling carers are difficult for services to identify. An older brother or sister may be providing full-time care for a younger sibling but may not think of themselves as a "kinship carer". They may simply see themselves as looking after their brother or sister. This can mean that sibling carers and the children they care for do not always receive the assessment, information and support they need.
Important: The legal position and support available to kinship carers varies across the UK and depends on the circumstances and legal status of the child. Historic research figures should not be assumed to represent current rates.
Sibling kinship carers tend to be younger
One of the clearest differences between sibling carers and other kinship carers is age.
Sibling kinship carers tend to be considerably younger than grandparents and other relatives who provide kinship care. Research by Selwyn and Nandy (2012) found that approximately 21% of sibling kinship carers in England were under 25 years old. This is significant because becoming responsible for a younger sibling can happen at a time when an older sibling is still developing their own adult life.
They may be:
studying at school, college or university
starting their first job
developing a career
looking for housing
forming relationships
becoming financially independent
making plans for their own future.
Instead, they may suddenly find themselves responsible for another person's education, health, wellbeing and day-to-day needs. This can create pressures that are very different from those experienced by older kinship carers who have already raised children.
Sibling carers are more likely to be women
Research has also identified a gender difference among sibling kinship carers. Selwyn and Nandy (2012) found that approximately:
65% of sibling kinship carers were female
35% were male.
The same research identified differences in relationship status. Almost all femalesibling kinship carers in the study were single and not living as part of a couple (93%), whereas a greater proportion of male sibling kinship carers were living with a partner (60%) (Selwyn & Nandy, 2014). These figures come from research conducted at a particular point in time and should not be taken as a description of every sibling carer today. However, they highlight an important issue: sibling kinship care can affect people's opportunities to develop their own relationships and adult lives. An older sibling may have to consider whether a partner is willing and able to share the responsibilities of caring for a younger child. This can place additional pressure on relationships and may influence decisions about housing, employment and family life.
Why is kinship care increasing?
The number of children being cared for by relatives and other connected people has been linked to wider pressures within children's social care. Research has identified several factors associated with the increasing use of kinship care, including:
concerns about child abuse and neglect
increasing numbers of children entering care
pressures on the availability of foster placements
parental substance misuse
poverty and financial hardship
parental imprisonment
other circumstances affecting parents' ability to provide safe care (McCartan et al., 2018; Taylor et al., 2020).
Kinship care can therefore be understood within a wider context of pressureson families and children's social-care services. For sibling carers, this can mean that becoming a carer happens suddenly and in response to a crisis rather than as something that has been planned.
Kinship care can provide stability — but it can also be complicated
There are important benefits associated with children remaining within their family networks. Compared with unrelated foster placements, some research has found that children in kinship care can experience greater placement stability and positive developmental outcomes (Warren-Adamson, 2009). Remaining with family can also help children maintain relationships, family identity, cultural connections and a sense of belonging (Department for Education, 2024). However, kinship care is not automatically easy simply because the carer is a family member. Family relationships can be complex, particularly when the circumstances that led to the child moving away from their parents involve trauma, abuse, neglect, substance misuse, mental health difficulties or family conflict.
Family conflict can be a significant challenge
Research has found higher levels of family conflict in some kinship-care arrangements compared with unrelated foster placements. Farmer (2009) found that conflict occurred in approximately 54% of kinship-care arrangements, compared with 16% of unrelated foster placements. Some kinship carers reported experiencing hostility from parents, including threats or physical attacks (Farmer, 2009). A later study by Taylor et al. (2020) found that 79% of kinship carers reported negative relationships with relatives, while 21% described relationships as positive and supportive. These figures should not be interpreted as meaning that conflict exists in every kinship family. They demonstrate that family relationships can be an important source of both support and difficulty. For sibling carers, this can be particularly complicated because they may have to maintain a relationship with their parent while simultaneously protecting and caring for their younger brother or sister.
Why might there be less professional support?
Despite the levels of conflict identified in some research, social workers have historically supervised contact less frequently in kinship-care arrangements than in unrelated foster placements. Farmer (2009) reported supervised contact in approximately 25% of kinship-care placements, compared with 55% of unrelated placements. There may be several reasons for this. Professionals may assume that family members already know each other and can manage contact themselves. However, family relationships can become highly complicated when a child has been removed from parental care.
Sibling carers may therefore need support to establish safe and sustainable boundaries with parents and other relatives.
Sibling carers often show strong commitment
Although kinship carers can experience considerable pressure, research suggests that they can demonstrate very high levels of commitment to maintaining placements.
Kinship carers have been found to be more likely than unrelated carers to persevere with placements and to remain committed to keeping children within the family (Broad, 2007; McCartan et al., 2018). This commitment can be a significant strength. An older sibling may feel a powerful responsibility to protect their younger brother or sister and may be determined to prevent another disruption or separation. However, commitment should not mean having to cope without support. A sibling carer can be deeply committed to their younger sibling while still needing financial, emotional, practical and professional assistance.
How are sibling carers different from grandparents?
Grandparents are one of the largest groups of kinship carers and are often much older than sibling carers. Grandparents may already have significant parenting experience, but they may also have their own health needs, disabilities or financial pressures (Broad, 2007; McCartan et al., 2018). Research has found higher levels of disability among some grandparent kinship carers, and some grandparents may require assistance with their own daily lives (Selwyn & Nandy, 2012). Taking on responsibility for a grandchild can therefore create considerable challenges, particularly if a grandparent needs to delay retirement or has limited financial resources (Broad, 2007). Sibling carers face a different set of challenges.
They are more likely to be young adults, may have limited parenting experience, and may have been planning their own education, employment, relationships and independence when they suddenly become responsible for a younger sibling. Neither experience is necessarily easier than the other. They are simply different forms of kinship care with different needs. Although grandparents may not always be the primary kinship carer, they can play an important role in supporting sibling kinship families. Research suggests that children and siblings may experience particularly close and supportive relationships with grandparents and may feel able to talk openly with them about their thoughts, feelings and difficulties (Griggs et al., 2010). Grandparents can also provide practical and emotional support during periods of crisis. However, their ability to provide this support can be affected by their own financial circumstances and experiences of poverty (Griggs et al., 2010). For some sibling kinship families, grandparents can therefore form an important part of their wider support network.
Poverty and financial pressure
Financial hardship is an important issue across kinship care. Kinship carers may experience greater financial pressures than families who are not providing kinship care, particularly because caring responsibilities can affect employment, education and housing (Broad, 2007; McCartan et al., 2018). For a young sibling carer, these pressures can be particularly significant. An older sibling may have to reduce their working hours, leave education or give up employment altogether in order to care for their younger sibling.
At the same time, they may be paying for additional food, clothing, school costs, transport and household expenses. Where a sibling carer is providing care informally, they may not automatically receive the same financial support available to an approved kinship foster carer. This is one reason why understanding your legal status and knowing what support is available is so important.
Why sibling kinship care needs to be recognised
Sibling kinship care can be hidden. An older brother or sister may not identify themselves as a "carer". Professionals may see them primarily as a sibling rather than as the person providing day-to-day parenting. This can mean that their needs are overlooked. Research into kinship care has repeatedly highlighted the importance of recognising carers' individual circumstances and providing appropriate support (McCartan et al., 2018; Department for Education, 2024). Sibling carers may need support that is specifically designed around their age, relationship with the child and experience of becoming a carer.
Every sibling kinship family is different
Statistics can help us understand patterns, but they cannot tell us what life is like for an individual sibling carer. Sibling carers come from different backgrounds, cultures and communities. They may be men or women, single or partnered, young or older adults, and may have very different relationships with their parents and younger siblings.
Some sibling kinship arrangements are planned. Others happen suddenly following a crisis.
Some are informal. Others involve fostering or court orders. Some sibling carers receive considerable family support. Others may be caring almost completely alone.
There is no single "typical" sibling kinship family
What sibling carers have in common is that they have taken on significant responsibility for a younger brother or sister.
What does this mean for sibling carers?
The research tells us that sibling kinship carers can face particular challenges because of their age, financial circumstances, relationships and the sudden nature of becoming responsible for a younger sibling. You may recognise some of these experiences in your own life. You may be:
younger than most other kinship carers
balancing caring responsibilities with work or education
managing your own transition into adulthood
trying to maintain relationships with your parents and other family members
dealing with family conflict
worried about money or housing
navigating children's social care or the legal system
supporting a younger sibling who has experienced trauma
trying to maintain your own relationships and future plans.
None of this means that you are failing as a sibling carer.
It means that sibling kinship care can be demanding, and that sibling carers deserve support that recognises their unique circumstances.
What does the research tell us?
The evidence about sibling kinship care is still developing. Much of the available research focuses on kinship care as a whole, rather than sibling kinship care specifically. This means that we need to be careful when applying findings about grandparents or other kinship carers to sibling carers. There is also a lack of comprehensive, up-to-date national data identifying how many children are being cared for specifically by older siblings. At Sibling Kinship, we believe this needs to change. Sibling carers should be visible in research, policy and children's social care. Understanding who sibling carers are, the challenges they face and the support they need is an important step towards ensuring that sibling families receive the right help.
References and further reading
Broad, B. (2007). Implementing the Quality Protects Programme for Children in Kinship Care. Research examining the experiences and needs of kinship carers, including grandparents and other relatives.
Department for Education (2024). Kinship Care: Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities. Current statutory guidance in England concerning kinship care and support for kinship families.GOV.UK – Kinship care: statutory guidance for local authorities
Farmer, E. (2009). Research into the experiences, outcomes and support needs of children placed with family and friends, and characteristics of kinship care, including the number of children being raised by relatives and the including the prevalence of conflict and contact arrangements in kinship care.
Griggs, J., et al. (2010). Research examining children's and families' relationshipswith grandparents and the role grandparents can play in providing emotional and practical support.
McCartan, C., et al. (2018). Research examining kinship care, including the increasing role of kinship carers within children's social care and the pressures experienced by kinship families.
Selwyn, J. & Nandy, S. (2012). Research examining the characteristics and circumstances of kinship carers and children living in kinship care in the UK.
Selwyn, J. & Nandy, S. (2014). Research using UK Census data to estimate the scale and characteristics of kinship care, including the number of children being raised by relatives and the characteristics of different groups of kinship carers.
Taylor, J., et al. (2020). Research examining the experiences of kinship carers, including family relationships, conflict and support needs.
Warren-Adamson, C. (2009). Research reviewing outcomes associated with kinship care and comparing kinship placements with unrelated foster care.
