MS, Minister for Children and
Social Care: The Welsh Government's vision for children in care
and care leavers is a crucial element of the broader Children and
Young People Plan. This Plan explicitly outlines the actions the
Government intends to take to ensure that Wales offers a
supportive environment for children and young people to grow up
within.
The foundation for this initiative is established through our
eight commitments outlined in the Programme for Government, to
create a new vision for Children's Services in Wales. These
commitments focus on implementing significant systemic changes
and ensuring that appropriate care is provided for every child:
this includes reforming and integrating services for children
looked after, adopted children, and care leavers.
Today, I am pleased to launch a public consultation on
proposed changes to existing regulations and codes of practice to
improve adoption, fostering and kinship services in
Wales.
The changes being considered are a key component of the radical
whole system change we are making and are in direct response to
feedback from members of the children's social services sector
about how to improve support for vulnerable children and their
families across Wales.
The consultation is seeking views on the following areas:
- the provision of adoption support services in order to
simplify arrangements for providers of these services and
increase access to support services for adopted children, young
people and adults.
- bringing together existing regulation and good practice
guidance across a number of legal frameworks in relation to
adoption.
- introducing a more flexible approach to assessing suitability
for kinship care placements alongside a more flexible approach to
the Children Looked After (CLA) framework in supporting the
placement.
- a more effective and efficient process for transferring
foster carers from one fostering service to another.
- a clearer explanation of how different types of foster
carers can obtain the enhanced fostering allowance.
- the Independent Review of Determinations process.
- the establishment of a national register of foster
carers.
The consultation period will last for 12 weeks, concluding on 20
October and is available on the Welsh Government's website. I
encourage all stakeholders, including individuals, carers,
professionals, and organisations, to participate in the
consultation. Your opinions are essential for making sure that
the regulatory changes are strong, feasible, and align with the
needs and hopes of those who will benefit from them.
I look forward to receiving your responses which will be
instrumental in influencing the legislation and enhancing
services for our vulnerable families throughout Wales.
This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep
members informed. Should members wish me to make a further
statement or to answer questions on this when the Senedd returns
I would be happy to do so.
