The Education Secretary Michael Gove has ordered an inquiry into Rotherham Council's decision to remove three Eastern European foster children from the care of a couple because they belong to the UK Independence Party (Ukip).
Chief executive of the Fostering Network, Robert Tapsfield, warned that the politically-charged situation risks shifting focus away from the important issues that the case raises.
“We are concerned that this story is being used to suggest consideration of a child’s ethnicity is not important,” he said. “Social workers are required to take into account a range of factors when making decisions about a child in care.
“They will want to know that a new fostering placement will meet the child’s health and educational needs, enable the child to keep in contact with important family members and help the child develop their sense of identity, of which race and ethnicity are a part.
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