Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department provides for children who have been orphaned as a result of covid-19.
Local authorities have a duty to care for any child within their area without a parent or guardian. This includes children who have been orphaned.
The law states that when a child cannot live with their parents, local authorities should seek to place them in the care of suitable family members, friends, and other people already connected with the child and approved as foster carers by children’s services. Only where this is not possible should children’s services go on to arrange for a child to live with unrelated carers.
All local authorities are required to have a family and friends care policy. The policy should set out services that are available to kinship carers, whatever the type of kinship care arrangement. Services should be aimed at preventing children from becoming or remaining looked after in the care system wherever possible.