what does "children who are looked after" mean?

[mstangju]

hi? I am applying for a nursery in a primary school for my DD. just ran into a policy issue. What does "children who are looked after "mean? The policy explains it refers to children in public care. My daughter is now attending a private nursery. Does that mean my child is looked after?Thanks!

[AbiRoad]

It means (roughly) children who have been taken into care by social services, eg children being fostered.

[motherinferior]

Wot Abi said. Children in care.

[motherinferior]

And yes, they'll get priority. (With good reason, obviously.)

[procrastinatingagain]

It means adopted or fostered children

[mstangju]

o, i see. many thanks!

[ineedtochangemyname]

It means adopted or fostered children

No, it doesn't. It means in care.

[MrsKwazii]

It does include fostered children, not sure about adopted though.

[RudolphLovesoftplay]

It doesn't mean adopted children, it means children in care. Although Adopted children also get priority places at schools now, and rightly so.

[motherinferior]

Adopted children aren't in public care because they have a family (by adoption) of their own. (I do also agree about them too getting priority, btw!)

[TheOneWithTheNicestSmile]

I never understood why "children in care" had to be changed to "looked after children" - it's a ridiculous expression (as if other children are not looked after )

[RudolphLovesoftplay]

I think either term doesn't really accurately portray it. However, the i guess the alternative would be children in local authority care? Probably a reason they can't use that??

[AuntieStella]

I've no idea how the terminology came about.

But it does mean children in local authority care (fostering or institution) or children adopted from local authority care.

It does not apply to private fostering or all kinship care.

[ineedtochangemyname]

I never understood why "children in care" had to be changed to "looked after children" - it's a ridiculous expression (as if other children are not looked after)

And it also assumes that "Looked After Children" are actually being 'looked after'. In my experience, frequently they aren't.

[RudolphLovesoftplay]

It doesn't mean adopted children.

[procrastinatingagain]

Sorry, didn't realise it didn't include adopted children, thanks for the corrections

[morethanpotatoprints]

It does include children who are adopted and fostered.
The actual "Looked after" refers to children in care.

Long may the priority exist.

[RudolphLovesoftplay]

Yeh, but the question was "what does a looked after child" mean. A LAC is a child in local authority care, not an adopted child.

In terms of priority for schools, it includes both, seperate, categories of LAC and adopted children. I entirely agree with this priority, and it was ultimately how my adopted children got accepted at very nurturing but not so academic schools.

[wordfactory]

OP, it means children for whom the SS have responsibility.

This can mean they are in residential care, with a foster parent, with family members or even with their parent (this is why they are looked after and not 'in care' ).

[Moomoomie]

Rudolph is correct, it means a child looked after by the local authority, so will be in foster care or a care home.
Once a child is legally adopted ie been to court for the adoption order, it is no longer classed as a LAC.
Tbere is a new law just come in, that a child that has been aLAC but is now adopted can get priority for school places allngside children with a statement of special educational needs.

[wordfactory]

And yes, it can be extended to include adopted DC for educationl purposes but they don't fall within the strict legal definition IYSWIM.

[AuntieStella]

Sorry! I didn't mean to confuse.

I was answering a question which OP hadn't asked (ie which children receive priority under the Admissions Code on the basis of being (or having been) looked after) rather than the more specific one about definition of looked after.

[MissFenella]

Word Factory is correct. My DDs are loked after but they are not in foster care and we haven't adopted yet.

[BloominNora]

Yes, WordFactory is correct. Not all Looked After Children are fostered or in a residential care home - some do stay with their parents but are still legally 'looked after' by the Local Authority.

[Lilka]

I prefer 'children in care' to 'looked after children', but then again the word 'care' does kind of have the same connotations as 'looked after', so I don't think they are that different

A 'looked after child' is a child for whom childrens services currently have legal responsibility following a court order. Usually this child will be in foster care or a children's home, but not always

A 'previously looked after child' is not the same, it means a child who used to be in care, but isn't any more. For the purposes of education and admission to school, it means a child who left care by means of

• A residence order
• A special guardianship order after the 30th December 2005
• An adoption order after the 30th December 2005