Kinship Week Message from Tracey Chapman Head of Fostering 5th to 11th October 2026

A message from Tracey Chapman Fostering Head of Service 

Thank you to all of our kinship carers across Stoke-on-Trent for everything you do. We simply could not do this without you.

Across England and Wales, more than 141,000 children are growing up in kinship care, raised by relatives and close family friends in loving and stable homes that keep them connected to their families, roots, and communities.

Kinship carers are grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings, and family friends who step up to care for children, often at very short notice and with little preparation. Whether caring under a Special Guardianship Order, as kinship foster carers, or through informal family arrangements, they provide children with the safety, stability, and sense of belonging they need to thrive.

This Kinship Care Week, we are celebrating the unbreakable bonds at the heart of kinship families and recognising the vital role kinship carers play in children's lives. We also acknowledge the challenges that can come with stepping forward to care for a child who has experienced a difficult start in life.

Your compassion, commitment, and resilience make a lasting difference every day. On behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, thank you for the love, care, and opportunities you give to children and young people.

Tracey Chapman
Corporate Director of Children and Family Services
Stoke-on-Trent City Council

#KinshipCareWeek #ThankYouKinshipCarers #StokeOnTrent #KeepingFamiliesConnected #MakingADifferenceEveryDay