Family Law News

TACT, the fostering and adoption charity, has responded to the publication of the Children and Families Bill, seeing it as a missed opportunity.

Welfare Reform Minister Lord Freud has announced a one year exemption from conditionality under Universal Credit for grandparents and other relatives (kinship) carers, who are taking on the responsibility for bringing up children because their parents cannot look after them.

A recent parliamentary inquiry report by two All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) has called for an independent investigation into children's homes in England, claiming that the system of residential care is 'not fit for purpose' for children who go missing.

The Family Rights Group has responded to new research released by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), which claims that local authorities are acting more quickly to process care applications.

Professor Eileen Munro, author of the Government’s review of the child protection system, has said that a “culture change” is underway in the child protection system but outlined an urgent need to now accelerate reforms to create a more child-centred system.

The latest statistics released by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) have revealed that care application demand continues to remain at a very high level.

The charity, Action for Children, has recently published a report claiming that the current law on child neglect is failing to protect children and must be updated as a matter of urgency.

Family and friends carers, who are raising some of the nation’s most vulnerable children, are being left to fend for themselves and suffer significant levels of hardship as local authorities fail to implement central government policy, according to new research from advice charity Family Rights Group.

Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of the Fostering Network, has commented on the Government's recently announced adoption action plan.

The Prime Minister is to set out proposed changes to legislation to ensure that, when adoption is in a child’s best interests, they are placed in loving homes as soon as possible.

The latest care statistics from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) have revealed that the number of care applications continue to remain high.

Over half (51%) of social workers, and a third of police officers (36%) report feeling 'powerless' to intervene in suspected cases of child neglect, according to a landmark report by children's charity, Action for Children.

A quarter of child runaways have been the victim of a harmful or dangerous experience, reveals new research from The Children’s Society.

Recent figures released by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) have shown that the Service received 841 care applications during October 2011.

The Department for Education has released statistics showing a 2% increase in the number of children in care, combined with a 5% decrease in the number of children who are adopted.