Shropshire Star

MP Lucy Allan's child care debate wins Commons' support

Calls for the Government to do more to help families stay together and reduce the number of children being taken into care received widespread support during a House of Commons debate led by Telford MP Lucy Allan.

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Lucy Allan

The motion, which called on the Government to bring forward measures to support more children to remain safely at home with their family or extended family, was approved following the backbench business debate yesterday afternoon.

It was started by Ms Allan and former Home Secretary the Rt Hon Alan Johnson, the debate's other lead member.

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Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Allan said that one in 100 children in England was now subject to a child protection investigation – an increase of 79 per cent in five years.

She said kinship carers, such as grandparents or older siblings, provided a valuable role and leave children in familiar surroundings, but added: "As an option it is often overlooked."

Addressing the other MPs, she said: "I am encouraged that there is growing acceptance that more can be done to help families stay together, and to stay together safely.

"It has to be better for society, it has to be better financially, and most importantly it is better for children.

"In Telford, my local council understands this. Their focus is on ensuring that children and families receive the right help at the right time.

"Their Strengthening Families Programme supports families with deep challenges, which in turn ensures that more expensive, more damaging interventions do not become necessary.

"And central to this successful scheme is the implementation of something called Family Connect, which is a single multi-agency front door for children and families."

Mr Johnson also spoke in favour of kinship carers saying they saved the taxpayer billions of pounds each year in care costs alone and 95 per cent of children in kinship care were not declared looked after children by the local authority.

He said: "The Government should place a new statutory duty on local authorities that when they conclude that a child may need to become looked after they must, other than in emergency situations, firstly identify and consider the willingness and suitability of any relative or other person connected to the child to care for them."

Education Minister Sam Gyimah added that kinship carers were very much a part of the department's plan and the decision to take a child into care was 'never taken lightly'.

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