The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was introduced in December 2024. It looks at a range of issues affecting children, the first part is focused on children’s social care, and looks at areas including early intervention, profiteering in the foster care sector, and kinship care.
The Fostering Network welcomes the Bill, and its focus on children’s social care. However, we believe the Bill needs to go further – it lacks a distinct focus on foster care, and it doesn’t bring forwards the key commitments from the Independent Review into Children’s Social Care, and the previous government’s strategy: ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love.’
House of Commons
Second reading
The Bill had its second reading on the 8th January 2025. Ahead of the Bill’s second reading, The Fostering Network put together a briefing which responded to the first draft of the Bill and set out where it could go further to address the key issues facing foster carers and children and young people in foster care.
Read our briefing for second reading
Committee stage
The Bill went to the committee stage on the 21st January 2025 and we worked on two amendments.
Delegated authority
The Fostering Network worked with Ellie Chowns MP (Green Party, North Herefordshire), to table a new clause to provide default delegated authority for foster carers to make day-to-day decisions for the children and young people in their care.
We were pleased that The Minister agreed with the amendment and, has now agreed to consult on introducing this into regulations after a full consultation with foster carers and birth parents.
Staying Put
We also worked with Ellie Chowns MP to table an amendment (supported by the Lib Dems Munira Wilson) to extend Staying Put to 25 as the current Bill only extends Staying Close (for young people in residential care), which risks creating a two-tier system. Unfortunately, the government has not yet accepted this change, but we will continue to push for it in the next stages of the Bill.
If you would like to find out more about these amendments and our positions, you can read our briefing for the committee stage of the Bill in the House of Commons.
Evidence submission to the Public Bill Committee:
The Fostering Network also submitted evidence to the Bill to the Public Bill Committee at this stage, which you can read here.
You can read our blog about the House of Common stage here.
House of Lords
Committee stage
We worked with Lord Watson of Invergowrie to table amendments on:
- Staying Put extension
- a foster carer register
- a national register for foster carers
Read our blog on the House of Lords Committee Stage here.
Report stage
We continued to work with Lord Watson of Invergowrie to table amendments on:
- A review of Staying Put funding
- A National Minimum Allowance for foster carers providing Staying Put
Read our blog on the these amendments here.
The Children's Wellbeing and School Act 2026 became law in April 2026.