Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle disparities in (a) financial allowances, (b) access to legal aid and (c) other forms of support available to kinship carers arising from (i) different kinship care arrangements, (ii) the level of social services involvement and (iii) levels of kinship care support between local authorities.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government announced a £40 million package to trial a new kinship allowance, which will begin in autumn 2025. We will evaluate the pilot to build an evidence base on how best to deliver financial support for kinship families.
Through the Children’s Wellbeing and School’s Bill, we are enshrining the first definition of kinship care in law and mandating local authorities to publish their kinship local offer, increasing their accountability for ensuring all kinship families are getting the information they need.
As set out in statutory guidance, local authorities must publish the support and services available to kinship families in a clear, accessible way. This includes the legal support that may be available to kinship carers and potential kinship carers, including the eligibility and extent of that support.
The government also created the National Kinship Care Ambassador role to advocate for kinship families. The appointee, Jahnine Davis, works with local authorities to help them improve their kinship practice and local policies and ensure they are following national guidance.
The department funds the charity ‘Kinship’ to deliver over 140 peer support groups and a training package that all kinship carers across England can access for free.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of (a) the current Free School Meal eligibility criteria and (b) the per-pupil funding available for Free School Meals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.
Providing over half a million additional children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.
It is important that these meals follow the latest nutritional guidance. We are currently engaging with stakeholders on revising the School Food Standards, to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) schools and (b) school leaders have engaged with A whole-school approach to food e-learning module that was launched 28 October 2024; and whether her Department is collecting data to measure the effectiveness of this training.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Since its launch, 903 users have engaged with the ‘A whole-school approach to food’ e-learning module.
The department receives evaluation data of the training from post-completion user-assessments. 99% of users said they were satisfied with the module and 87% of users felt their knowledge had increased as a result of completing the training.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase pre-school support for children living in disadvantaged areas.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life. Low income families, children with education, health and care plans and looked after children are eligible for 15 hours funded early education from age 2. In addition, eligible disadvantaged children can get early years pupil premium (EYPP). This additional funding supports the delivery of high-quality early education improving disadvantaged children’s outcomes. In December 2024, we announced an unprecedented 45% increase to EYPP.
School-based nurseries are a key part of this government’s Opportunity Mission. We have awarded 300 primary schools £37 million to repurpose spare space for new or expanded nursery provision, which will be opening from September 2025.
In addition, from September 2026, every pupil whose household is in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals.
This means that over half a million children from the most disadvantaged households will become eligible for a free nutritious lunchtime meal every school day. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 a year per child back in parents’ pockets to support parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.
We are also investing an additional £126 million in 2025/26 to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. The 75 local authorities on the programme have already opened more than 400 family hubs in some of the most deprived areas in the country.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to help reduce the number of children starting school without basic early-years skills.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Plan for Change set out our ambition for a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn in the classroom. We will measure our progress through 75% of children reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028. The department will use a number of strategies to achieve this.
Firstly, we will roll out government-funded childcare support to improve access. We are delivering the expansion to 30 funded hours and have awarded 300 schools £37 million in the first phase towards 3,000 new and expanded school-based nurseries, increasing the availability of high-quality childcare places where they are needed most.
The department will also work in partnership with the sector, reforming training and support for the workforce to drive up standards. We will ensure that the reception year sets children up for success, by increasing schools’ access to evidence-based programmes that boost early literacy and numeracy skills. We are hosting a series of regional conferences focused on reception year quality starting later this month.
In addition, the department is working to strengthen and join-up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes to support early child health, parenting and home learning programmes, and strengthening health visiting services for all families, as well as improved early identification of special educational needs and disabilities.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51817 on Orphans: Databases, if she will take steps to create a register of all orphaned children which includes information on the care arrangements of each child.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not currently have any plans to create a new register for orphaned children. Our priority for children who have been orphaned is to find them a new, permanent, loving home as soon as we can.
Some are taken in by a member of their family in a kinship arrangement and are provided with a range of support and care from within their existing family network, with the support of the local authority where needed.
Others may be adopted and will receive support through the Regional Adoption Agencies.
Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care. The department is supporting them through funding and legislation.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to reduce child poverty.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and prosper.
The Child Poverty Taskforce, which is co-chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, is exploring all available levers to drive forward action across government to reduce child poverty. More detail on the approach and priorities for the strategy is set out in the publication ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing our Strategy’, which was published on 23 October and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy.
The department is already taking steps to reduce the cost of living through action on the high cost of branded school uniforms and commitment to roll out free breakfast clubs for primary school-aged children from the start of this summer term. The government has also extended the Household Support Fund.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to (a) provide specific advice and (b) increase the level of support available for foster parents when facing abusive or controlling behaviours from their foster child’s birth parents.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is not currently planning specific advice or increased support on the issue of abusive or controlling behaviours from their foster child’s birth parents.
However, our investment in foster care does include sources of support for foster carers who are facing difficulties with family time or birth parents. This investment includes the rollout of the Mockingbird Family Help model, which offers peer support to foster carers and the children in their care. We also continue to fund Fosterline, which is a free helpline service for current and prospective foster carers.
The department’s guidance makes clear that children should, where appropriate, have constructive contact with their parents and other relatives who play a significant role in their lives.
Facilitating family time with parents can be challenging for some foster carers and our guidance makes clear that they should receive the necessary support, including financial assistance, to manage these arrangements. Additionally, emotional and other issues arising from family time should be addressed. Foster carers should be encouraged to raise any concerns they have with their supervising social worker and with the child’s social worker.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) levels of recognition of kinship care and (b) the lack of a kinship carers identity card on kinship carers when they interact with (i) schools, (ii) hospitals and (iii) children’s services.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In October 2024, the department published the kinship care statutory guidance for local authorities, which outlines the framework for the provision of support for kinship children and kinship families.
Measures included in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill also seek to mandate local authorities to publish a kinship local offer, which sets out the information and support in a local authority's area for children living in kinship care and kinship carers, and defines what kinship care is for the purpose of the kinship care local offer. These measures will make it clear for local authorities, schools and other statutory services what support is available to those involved in a kinship arrangement.
The department recognises that some families have reported challenges around the recognition of kinship care in their interactions with schools, hospitals, and children's services. We have not carried out a formal assessment of the feasibility or potential merits of implementing a national kinship identification card, but will continue to monitor and review the needs of kinship carers and children living in kinship care and discuss the issues raised with other governmental departments and with local authorities to ensure they receive the support they deserve.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Independent - Gorton and Denton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the (a) feasibility and (b) potential merits of implementing a national kinship care identity card.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In October 2024, the department published the kinship care statutory guidance for local authorities, which outlines the framework for the provision of support for kinship children and kinship families.
Measures included in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill also seek to mandate local authorities to publish a kinship local offer, which sets out the information and support in a local authority's area for children living in kinship care and kinship carers, and defines what kinship care is for the purpose of the kinship care local offer. These measures will make it clear for local authorities, schools and other statutory services what support is available to those involved in a kinship arrangement.
The department recognises that some families have reported challenges around the recognition of kinship care in their interactions with schools, hospitals, and children's services. We have not carried out a formal assessment of the feasibility or potential merits of implementing a national kinship identification card, but will continue to monitor and review the needs of kinship carers and children living in kinship care and discuss the issues raised with other governmental departments and with local authorities to ensure they receive the support they deserve.