If your child or children have been taken into care you may feel confused and distressed and be looking for advice.
A study published in 2009 found that birth parents often felt they were not receiving the right information or the support they needed from social workers, foster carers and other professionals. Read our feature and view the full report.
The Who Cares? Trust is a small charity which works for children who are in the care system, not their families specifically, but we can point you in the direction of some useful advice and support.
If you want general advice about your rights when your children, or those of a family member, have been taken into care the Family Rights Group should be the first place you contact. It is a charity which advises families in England and Wales whose children are involved with social services because of welfare needs or concerns.
It has a confidential helpline for families who need information and advice about the involvement of social services with their children or those of another family member. Call 0808 801 0366 free of charge.
As the parent of a child who has been taken into care you often still have parental rights even if the local authority is now making decisions about the day to day care of your child.
The Citizen’s Advice Bureau has some useful information on care proceedings and your legal rights.
The Children’s Legal Centre is a charity which deals with law and policy affecting children and young people. For free legal advice and information on all aspects of law and policy affecting children call their Child Law Advice Line on 0808 802 0008. It is open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.
Explanations of the different types of legal status of a child in care can be found on its website.
If you have a complaint against a local authority and feel it has not been resolved through its own complaints system you can contact the Local Government Ombudsman. Its advice team can be contacted on 0300 061 0614.
When children are removed from their birth families, where possible social services should look to see if there are other members of the family who could look after the child, like grandparents, aunts and uncles. This is called ‘kinship care’ or 'friends and families care'.
Several charities including The Who Cares? Trust have come together under the banner of The Kinship Care Alliance to lobby the government to prioritise kinship care as an alternative to foster care. The legal position on kinship carers is explained by The Children’s Legal Centre.
Related news
21/09/09 - Parents of children in long-term foster care need more support, says new report
The Who Cares? Trust,
Kemp House, 152-160 City Road,
London EC1V 2NP, UK,
Telephone: 020 7251 3117
Email: mailbox@thewhocarestrust.org.uk
The Who Cares? Trust is a registered charity (No. 1010518). A Company limited by guarantee. Registered in London (No. 2700693). VAT Reg. No. 577853091
Charity web design by Fat Beehive - Main photo by epidemya
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