Clause 24
Children and Young Persons Bill [Lords]
5:00 pm
Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Children, Young People and Families; Minister for the North West), Department for Children, Schools and Families; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
I thank the hon. Lady for that question. She is right: the intention in clarifying the provision is to alleviate local authorities’ confusion about how much flexibility they have in providing financial support to promote children’s welfare and their upbringing by members of their family or friends. It is important to say that that does not mean that local authorities can be expected to provide income maintenance for families—I made that point earlier in our discussions. It is important that the lines are clear on where families need to go for that sort of income maintenance and on whom the additional costs for taking in a child, who is perhaps a member of the family, lie. It is important that it is clear that those costs are appropriate for local authorities to consider meeting.
We will produce guidance, which will make it plain that families are expected to take full advantage of the sources of financial support available to them. The guidance will also set out examples of additional costs that families will incur. Obviously we expect families to apply for child benefit and other state benefits that relate to caring for children, but the clause will enable local authorities to meet the transitional costs of taking in children.