The Children and Young Persons Bill cleared its final stage in the House of Commons last night. If passed, the bill would extend the original 2004 deadline for the private fostering registration scheme by three years.
Shadow Children's Minister Tim Loughton tabled an amendment to the Children and Young Persons Bill, which would have obliged the Secretary of State to set up an immediate registration scheme.
Labour MPs rejected the amendment and stood by the decision to extend the deadline.
Tim Loughton said: "We need to bring registration in as a matter of urgency. We are talking about perhaps 10,000 potentially extremely vulnerable children who are unknown to local social services departments.
"Whilst I am sure that the majority of private fosterers are doing a good job, if we are to avoid the sort of tragedy that befell Victoria Climbié it is vital that we know which children are out there and who is looking after them."
He argued that a register would enable birth parents to pursue private fostering arrangements and would allow local authorities to ensure that standards of care were suitable.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
