Kinship Matters: Exploring Voices in Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities

What is this project about ?
Kinship Matters is a research project about kinship care in Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller families. Funded by Foundations – What Works Centre for Children & Families, it is part of two new research projects aiming to better understand the experiences of minoritised ethnic children and young people living in kinship care. These new research projects will explore children’s views on identity, belonging, cultural continuity, trust in services, and what affects their access to support. Together, these projects aim to build evidence about how to improve services, and how to reduce discrimination and racial inequalities in kinship care.
What is kinship care ?
Kinship care occurs when children are living with family members or close family friends, rather than with parents. Sometimes this is permanent, sometimes this is for shorter lengths of time. Kinship care can be informal, including culturally embedded forms of extended and intergenerational family care within Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities, where families themselves decide on this arrangement. Kinship care can also be formal and supported by children’s social care.
Who is involved in the project ?
Kinship Matters is a collaborative research project led by the University of Lancashire with the University of Worcester and Swansea University, in partnership with the following community led organisations: Gypsy and Traveller Empowerment (GATE) Herts, Kaskosan, Kushti Bok, Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (Leeds GATE), Lincolnshire Traveller Initiative, and Luton Roma. It is a collaborative qualitative research project. Universities and community-led organisations will work closely together with adult community researchers and young experts by experience to codesign all aspects of the research.
What will the project do ?
The project will use creative activities and discussions to hear from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children and young people who have experience of kinship care. It will involve around 30 children and young people aged 7 to 25. Children and young people will be invited to meet with peer researchers. They will be able to choose creative activities designed to help them share stories about their everyday lives. We will write a report about what we find out and try to improve understanding of what is important for children and families.
Why is the project important ?
Research has shown that racial inequalities and discrimination affect kinship carers (Tah and Selwyn, 2025). However, not enough is known about children’s views on their experience of kinship care. To our knowledge, no research in England has ever heard directly from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children about their experiences of kinship care. So, there is no reliable information 4 about what is happening for these children and what support would be useful for them and their families. What we do know is that Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children are much more likely to be referred to children’s services, to progress to child protection investigations, and to be placed in state care (Allen et al, 2026). This evidence raises concerns about institutional bias, the undervaluing of extended family networks, and the erosion of children’s cultural identity. It is important to improve this situation since it relates to the rights of children and families to preserve their identity and family relations.