Private fostering Family care Family and Unrelated foster Child Special Adoption (informal) friends foster care Arrangements Guardianship care Order Order (SGO) Parental Responsibility (PR) PR remains with PR remains with birth parents if the PR is shared by PR shared with PR transfers to adopters and the remains with birth parents. birth parents but child is accommodated on a parents and parents and any relationship with birth child’s the person who voluntary basis under section 20 of holder of the one else with parents is severed. cares for the the Children Act 1989. If the child is Child parental (PR) child may do subject to a Care Order or Arrangements responsibility for what is Emergency Protection Order the Order specifying the child. The reasonable to local authority will have parental with whom the special guardian safeguard or responsibility and determines the child is to live. If may exercise promote the extent to which it may be exercised the Order sets parental Responsibility welfare. by others. out who the child responsibility to child’s is to have the exclusion of contact with, PR all others with can also be PR, apart from Parental conferred on that another Special person/s. Guardian. The arrangement may be Subject to the Approved as local authority foster A Child A Special An Adoption agency assesses assessed by the Local discretion of carers in accordance with Fostering Arrangements Guardianship and approves prospective Authority, but the carer is not person with PR. Services Regulations (if child is Order is granted Order is granted adopters. The court will grant an in the same was Looked After (carers must be by the Court. by the Court. The Adoption Order if satisfied it is in ‘approved’ as a Local Authority foster approved as foster carers even if a Local Authority the best interests. If the child’s carer. close relative). must investigate child is not Looked After then basis the matter and notice of intention to adopt must The arrangement may be prepare a report be given to the Local Authority to prohibited if assessed by the for the court carry out an assessment/report local authority as unsuitable. dealing with the for the court. Approval suitability of the applicants to become a special guardian.
Private fostering Family care (informal) Family and friends foster care Unrelated foster care Child Arrangements Order Special Guardianship Order (SGO) Adoption Parental Responsibility (PR) Parental Responsibility (PR) remains with birth parents. PR remains with birth parents but the person who cares for the child may do what is reasonable to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare. PR remains with birth parents if the child is accommodated on a voluntary basis under section 20 of the Children Act 1989. If the child is subject to a Care Order or Emergency Protection Order the local authority will have parental responsibility and determines the extent to which it may be exercised by others. PR is shared by parents and holder of the Child Arrangements Order specifying with whom the child is to live. If the Order sets out who the child is to have contact with, PR can also be conferred on that person/s. PR shared with parents and any one else with parental responsibility for the child. The special guardian may exercise parental responsibility to the exclusion of all others with PR, apart from another Special Guardian. PR transfers to adopters and the child’s relationship with birth parents is severed. Approval basis The arrangement may be assessed by the Local Authority, but the carer is not ‘approved’ in the same was as a Local Authority foster carer. The arrangement may be prohibited if assessed by the local authority as unsuitable. Subject to the discretion of person with PR. Approved as local authority foster carers in accordance with Fostering Services Regulations (if child is Looked After (carers must be approved as foster carers even if a close relative). A Child Arrangements Order is granted by the Court. A Special Guardianship Order is granted by the Court. The Local Authority must investigate the matter and prepare a report for the court dealing with the suitability of the applicants to become a special guardian. An Adoption agency assesses and approves prospective adopters. The court will grant an Adoption Order if satisfied it is in the child’s best interests. If the child is not Looked After then notice of intention to adopt must be given to the Local Authority to carry out an assessment/report for the court.
Family%20and%20Friends%20Policy%20August%202017%20update.docx