Press releases

BAAF welcomes new education bill but expresses concern over parent power

Issued: 28 February 2006

• BAAF welcomes commitment to looked-after children, but says emphasis on parent power could disadvantage children in care
• Charity asks: Who will ensure looked after children have the choices and support available to other children?

Barbara Hutchinson, Interim Chief Executive of BAAF, says: "It is crucial that more is done to improve educational outcomes for children in care. It is simply not good enough that currently fewer than ten percent achieve five good GCSEs and less than one percent go on to university. We welcome Government commitment to prioritising looked after children, but efforts to promote achievement in this group through this bill could be undermined because of the emphasis on parental power in school selection.

"It is not clear who would act on behalf of the looked after child to ensure they benefit from the shift towards parental choice. Although the state has legal responsibility for the child and so is the ‘corporate parent’, it is foster carers who look after children day to day and we need some clarity about their role. If it is decided that they should be advocates for these children, they will need training, support and to be seen as part of the team, along with teachers, social workers and other professionals."

She adds: "If we really want to improve educational achievement, we must also address the current instability experienced by too many children in care who move from foster carer to foster carer and have to change schools many times. Young people in care also need support to further their education beyond the age of 16, which could mean giving them the option of continuing to live with foster carers, rather than being expected to become independent and live on their own."

Notes to editors

For more information, contact Daisy O´Clee on 020 7421 2632 / 07767 444 589 or Lucy Handford on 020 7421 2633 or email daisy.oclee@baaf.org.uk / lucy.handford@baaf.org.uk