News

A leaflet campaign outlining councils' and private foster carers' legal responsibilities is not "far-reaching" enough, according to British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering.

The Department of Health launched the campaign this month following concerns prompted by research studies that many local authorities and private foster carers were failing to adhere to regulations set out in the Children Act 1989.

Under the act, local authorities must make home visits to the child, observe the overall standard of care and offer advice where needed.

Private foster carers must notify their local authority six weeks in advance of a placement, as well as when the child leaves their care.

The leaflet highlights the current lack of awareness and enforcement of regulations by both carers and councils.

It says that half of all private foster carers fail to notify local authorities about placement arrangements.

The leaflet adds that, even then, reported placements are considered by councils to be a low priority, with little timeallocated to inspecting them.

Describing private fostering as a "potential minefield", BAAF chief executive Felicity Collier said: "We are very glad that attention has been drawn to this issue. But it is not far-reaching enough and we are not convinced that there will be any more elements to the campaign."

She called for the implementation of measures outlined in the 1998 Utting report, which recommended it should be a criminal offence to look after a child for more than 28 days without informing the local authority.

The government rejected the proposals.

The leaflet, which will be distributed nationally, urges education, health and social care sector professionals to be more aware of private fostering and to be more proactive in notifying local councils of private fostering arrangements.

About 10,000 children, many of whom are aged under five, are in private placements.