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.

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.