just wondering
just wondering
i have been in touch with a new solicitor about discharging a care order on my 4 year old but i have a few questions are kinship foster carers assessed using the same rules as normal foster carers with regards to the must have a spare bedroom? and can social services allow for a looked after child to be allowed to take holidays during school time? i am not informed of anything and i mean anything not even when clar meetings are i have tried speaking to the IRO but she is refusing to speak to me so now i have had contact reduced from 6 times court ordered to 3 times never missed a contact or had any iusses during this time all this i will be raising tomorrow but what should i be informed of?
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Suzie, FRG Adviser
- Posts: 4234
- Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:57 pm
Re: just wondering
Dear A123
Thank you for your post.
Kinship carers are assessed as foster carers are but in some cases the requirement of a spare room is not adhered to. Kinship carers will not be ‘employed’ by the local authority or an agency to care for the child they are looking after and in many cases they already have a relationship with the child and have enough ‘living space’ for the child to be ‘comfortable’ even if that may mean sharing a bedroom with another ‘related’ child or children.
If a child is looked after under a Care Order then the local authority and the parent have parental responsibility and in theory a child may have a holiday during term time if permission is sought and granted from the head teacher at their school. Parents who live with their children may ask schools to allow them term time holidays but in some cases where permission is not granted and they decide to go on holiday anyway, they may be fined and their child regarded as being absent without authorisation. It may be possible that if a looked after child went on a family holiday permission from the school and the local authority (if there is a Care Order in place) or the parents if not, would have been sought.
It is likely in your case permission from a school may have been sought and granted, but because four year olds are not at the compulsory age for school attendance if they went on holiday they would not necessarily been deemed absent without authorisation. You may wish to ask the authority in which your child lives for clarification, in the meantime, here is what the Government says about it.
With regard to contact with your child, please have a look at our advice sheet Contact with children in care and Duties on Children’s Services when children are in the care system, both these sheets may be useful.
Best wishes
Suzie
Thank you for your post.
Kinship carers are assessed as foster carers are but in some cases the requirement of a spare room is not adhered to. Kinship carers will not be ‘employed’ by the local authority or an agency to care for the child they are looking after and in many cases they already have a relationship with the child and have enough ‘living space’ for the child to be ‘comfortable’ even if that may mean sharing a bedroom with another ‘related’ child or children.
If a child is looked after under a Care Order then the local authority and the parent have parental responsibility and in theory a child may have a holiday during term time if permission is sought and granted from the head teacher at their school. Parents who live with their children may ask schools to allow them term time holidays but in some cases where permission is not granted and they decide to go on holiday anyway, they may be fined and their child regarded as being absent without authorisation. It may be possible that if a looked after child went on a family holiday permission from the school and the local authority (if there is a Care Order in place) or the parents if not, would have been sought.
It is likely in your case permission from a school may have been sought and granted, but because four year olds are not at the compulsory age for school attendance if they went on holiday they would not necessarily been deemed absent without authorisation. You may wish to ask the authority in which your child lives for clarification, in the meantime, here is what the Government says about it.
With regard to contact with your child, please have a look at our advice sheet Contact with children in care and Duties on Children’s Services when children are in the care system, both these sheets may be useful.
Best wishes
Suzie
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