Commentary on Sections Part 2 – Children Order Amendments Section 141: Notification of fostering: public awareness
Article 112 (Regulations requiring notification of fostering) of the Children Order enables the Department to make regulations concerning notification requirements in respect of children who are, have been, or are proposed to be privately fostered. The regulations require parents who arrange or intend to arrange for their children to be privately fostered to notify the appropriate authority. Notification is also required by private foster carers when they take on and terminate such an arrangement. If a private foster carer changes their address or if there is any change in the persons living in their household, the private foster carer must notify the appropriate authority. The regulations also require a person who is privately fostering, or proposing to privately foster a child to notify the appropriate authority of any convictions against him, or of any disqualification or prohibition imposed on him by an authority.
Section 141 inserts a new Article 112A into the Children Order which places a duty on every authority to raise public awareness of the requirement to notify the appropriate authority of private fostering arrangements.