Child Development

Baroness Howells of St Davids Excerpts

Wednesday 16th September 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

My Lords, there are rules around data sharing that cover this point.

[Baroness Howells of St Davids (Lab)]

Would the Minister also consider extending to foster parents the courtesy shown to looked-after children? My mailbag is full of complaints about how different schools operate the funding allocated to those children. The foster parents themselves are prohibited from asking questions because they could be deregulated from the system. Several foster parents, especially middle-class black women, claim that the schools accuse them of expecting too much from those schools, simply because the children of the parents who are now fostering went to public school. This is jolly unfair, and I ask the Minister to look again at how much information is available to those foster parents.

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

I thank the noble Baroness for raising her concern. I will certainly take it back to the department and raise the issue.