Looked After Children, Overseas Family Placements & Connected Persons Arrangements
I am writing to request recorded information relating to your local authority's exploration and use of family and connected persons placements, including those outside Wales and outside the UK. This request relates to duties under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and associated regulations, which require local authorities to safeguard children's wellbeing and prioritise placement with family where appropriate. This request is being made by CFAB (Children and Families Across Borders), a UK-based charity that provides advice and support in cases involving children with family connections overseas. There is a clear public interest in disclosure. While not all information is captured in national returns, authorities are required to record details of family members explored as carers, including those overseas. This request seeks aggregated data derived from those existing records. - Please provide recorded local authority data for the period 2023-2025 where available. - Enter '0' where the answer is nil. - If data cannot be provided, please explain using the question at the end of each section (e.g. data not recorded or unable to retrieve). Welsh local authorities * Looked After Children with Immigration Status In the period 2023 - 2025 inclusive, for each calendar year, please share the number of Looked After Children who had immigration status recorded as an issue of concern, including (but not limited to): no current immigration status, unresolved or insecure immigration status, or ongoing immigration or nationality applications. If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 - 2025 inclusive). Number of Looked After children with immigration status: 2023, 2024, 2025 Number of Looked After children with NO immigration status: 2023, 2024, 2025 * Number of Looked After Children with Family and/or Connected Persons abroad In the period 2023 - 2025, did you explore Family and/or Connected Persons overseas as potential carers for a child in your care? Yes/No * Number of children placed with Family and/or Connected Persons abroad For each calendar year, how many children were actually placed with Family and/or Connected Persons outside Wales or outside the UK? If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 - 2025 inclusive). If your response is 'nil', please use '0'. Placed outside of Wales but within UK: 2023, 2024, 2025 Placed outside of the UK: 2023, 2024, 2025 * Court orders used for placement overseas For each year, what number and types of court orders were used to place children with Family and/or Connected Persons abroad? If it would threaten the privacy of any individual to report numbers year on year, please report for the full three-year basis (2023 - 2025 inclusive). If your response is 'nil', please use '0'. No order but child placed outside UK: 2023, 2024, 2025 ICO: 2023, 2024, 2025 CAO: 2023, 2024, 2025 Special Guardianship Order: 2023, 2024, 2025 Adoption Order: 2023, 2024, 2025 Other Order: 2023, 2024, 2025 * Post-placement support for overseas placements Has your local authority made any financial support payments to kinship carers living overseas in the past three calendar years (2023, 2024, 2025)? Please list countries of residence of the formerly LAC.