Background and Summary
3.The Act takes forward a range of Government commitments which are intended to improve services for key groups of vulnerable children (children in the adoption and care systems, those affected by decisions of the family courts and those with special educational needs and disabilities) and to support families in balancing home and work life, particularly when children are very young. It takes forward legislation that has been announced in a range of Government documents over the past 2 years, including:
	An Action Plan for Adoption: Tackling Delay (March 2012).
	Further Action on Adoption: Finding More Loving Homes (January 2013).
	The Government Response to the Family Justice Review (February 2012).
	Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability: Progress and next steps (May 2012).
	More great childcare (January 2013) and More affordable childcare (July 2013).
	The Government Response to the Modern Workplaces consultation (November 2012).
4.The Act contains provisions on a range of policies which span the responsibilities of the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health. It contains measures intended to remove barriers to adoption; reform the family justice system and the special educational needs system and ensure that services place children and young people at the centre of decision making and support. It contains measures which relate to the welfare of children, including areas such as: child performance; protecting children and young people from tobacco and nicotine addiction; young carers and parent carers; “staying put” arrangements; supporting pupils at school with medical conditions; reform of children’s homes; clarifying the Secretary of State’s intervention powers; and free school lunches. The Act contains measures which support wider changes to childcare; introduces a new system of shared parental leave following childbirth or adoption; and extends to all employees the right to request flexible working. Through its reforms to the functions and role of the Children’s Commissioner, the Act is intended to ensure that children in England have a strong advocate for their rights.
5.Pre-legislative scrutiny was conducted in relation to Parts 1, 2, 3 and 6 during 2012. The Government published its response in the Command paper Children and Families Bill: Contextual Information and Responses to Pre-Legislative Scrutiny (CM8540) on 5 February 2013.
6.The Act consists of 10 Parts, 140 sections and 7 Schedules.
7.Where explanatory notes are provided for Schedules, these are included in the notes for the relevant sections. Annex A of this document sets out further detail relating to the parental involvement provision.