Foster Carer's Handbook

This document contains the fostering services regulations and national minimum standards applicable to fostering services. Together, these regulations and standards form the basis of the new regulatory framework under the Care Standards Act 2000 (CSA) for the conduct of fostering services.

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) is a review process which prospective or existing foster carers can use when they do not agree with the qualifying determination given to them by their fostering service provider.

Special Guardianship Orders are intended to meet the needs of children who cannot live with their birth parents but for whom adoption is not appropriate. They are of particular relevance to foster carers offering a permanent home to a child where adoption is not a suitable plan, although they are now most widely used by family members who are caring in the long term for children to whom they are related

This is a brief account of the key parts of the Act that specifically relate to the Change for Children programme in England.

All child care law relating to children being accommodated by the local authority comes under the Children Act 1989.