Thousands of people care for children because their birth parents are unable to do so. These people are grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and even close family friends. Are you one of these? You may have chosen to become a carer already or you are in the process of becoming one but your main priority is the best interests of the child/ren. This can sometimes blind you to the roles, responsibilities and pressures that you will have as a carer. Alternatively a child who is a close relative may be looked after by a foster carer or is placed in a residential home and you wish to take over the care of that child. What do you do? The legislation around kinship care can be confusing and is open to interpretation in some areas. This means that there are differences across local authorities. It is important to check with your local authority about financial payments, assessment processes and support packages