Care and support

Education of children in the County Council's care - (Children Looked After)

Wherever possible the county council works to support the family in caring for children at home and keep families together.

It is only in rare or exceptional circumstances that the county council, through social services, looks after children and young people. This would be:

• in serious cases of neglect or abuse when children cannot live with their natural parents
• when a court has made an order placing a child in care

Most of the children and young people the county council looks after live with foster carers. If they cannot ever return to their natural parents, the county council aims to find them adoptive parents or permanent foster homes. Only a few children, who are severely disabled or need specialist care or support, live in residential homes.

If you would like to find out more about the Corporate Parenting Panel and the support that is provided to Children Looked After please follow the links below.