Why Are Children In Local Authority Care?

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• Why Are Children in Local Authority Care?

There are many different reasons why a child might not be able to live with their birth family for a time. These include:

Neglect e.g. not being given regular meals, not going to school, not having clean clothes, not being taken to the doctor.

Abuse - They may have risk of being hurt

Parent with a drug or alcohol addiction

Death or illness of a parent

Seeking Asylum A few children come to Kingston each year, unaccompanied by a family member. They have often been victims of a harsh regime in their birth country and their parents may be imprisoned or have been killed.

Unplanned pregnancy Very occasionally mothers make the decision to have their baby adopted. The child is usually fostered until the right family is found.

Foster Carers and adopters are assessed in very different ways and becoming a foster carer would not make a person more likely to be selected as an adoptive parent. If you are hoping to give a child a permanent home, please read the information on our adoption pages.