The children's commissioner has asked the French government to help unaccompanied child asylum seekers in the Calais refugee camp to reach relatives in the UK. The BBC reports that Anne Longfield has written to French authorities to ask them to speed up asylum claims of 150 children who may be eligible to travel to the UK.
An independent review into the death of 21-month-old toddler Ayeeshia Smith should be carried out, Burton's MP Andrew Griffiths has said. The Burton Mail reports that Griffiths said the case raises many questions about how social workers operate and should not be investigated by the local authority.
Norfolk's "troubled" children's services department looks likely to avoid a government takeover if it can continue to show it is improving. The Eastern Daily Press reports that a special commissioner has recommended in his report that Education Secretary Nicky Morgan keeps a "close eye" on Norfolk City Council's children's services' progress.
Councillors from Stoke-on-Trent City Council have called for action to encourage more families to visit underused children's centres in the area. The Stoke Sentinel reports that a panel set up to investigate the issues behind low attendance has recommended centres use better signs, increase publicity and offer a wider range of services.
Low-paid working families can expect to lose up to £200 a month as a result of changes to Universal Credit introduced today. The Guardian reports that the cuts will be felt in May because Universal Credit is paid a month in arrears.
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