The Foster Placement (Children) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations replace the Children and Young Persons (Boarding-Out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976.

The Regulations apply to placements of children by authorities and voluntary organisations, other than placements to which the Placement of Children with Parents etc. Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 apply and placements for adoption or with a person having parental responsibility for a child (regulation 2).

Part II of the Regulations relates to approvals and placements and provides for a prospective foster parent to supply information about his household and family and requires the foster parent with whom a child is placed to be approved by an authority or voluntary organisation (regulation 3 and Schedules 1 and 2); makes provision for reviews and terminations of approval (regulation 4); for the placement of a child with a foster parent (regulation 5 and Schedule 3) and for the supervision and termination of placements (regulations 6 and 7); allows authorities to make arrangements with voluntary organisations to be responsible for the placement of children (regulation 8); the application of the Regulations to short-term placements (regulation 9); placements outside Northern Ireland (regulation 10); and for emergency and immediate placements by authorities (regulation 11).

Part III of the Regulations provides for authorities to maintain a register of foster parents approved in their area (regulation 12); for authorities and voluntary organisations to maintain a record for each foster parent they approve (regulation 13) and for the retention and confidentiality of the registers and records (regulation 14).

Part IV of the Regulations makes provision for visits to children placed with foster parents by voluntary organisations (regulations 15 and 16).

Part V of the Regulations revokes the Children and Young Persons (Boarding-Out) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976 (regulation 17).

Articles 27(2)(a), 28(1), 75(2) and 77(3) of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 are the enabling provisions under which these Regulations are made. They were brought into operation on 18th July 1996 by virtue of Article 2(1) of, and Schedule 1 to, the Children (1995 Order) (Commencement No. 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 (S.R. 1996 No. 297 (C. 17)).