Guidance and regulation

Local authorities and regional adoption agencies can apply for therapeutic funding for eligible adoptive, special guardianship order and child arrangement order families.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 15 December 2023

Statutory guidance on the special guardianship services local authorities need to provide in accordance with the Children Act 1989.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 26 January 2017

Guidance for local authorities on the national minimum standards for providing fostering services.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 8 March 2011

Tell Ofsted about a serious incident in an independent fostering agency.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 26 October 2023

Summary of the main changes and provisions of the act and how they may affect children and families.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 30 September 2014

Statutory guidance for local authorities and adoption agencies.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 18 July 2013

This guidance outlines 'staying put' arrangements that enable care leavers to remain with their former foster carers after they turn 18.

• From: Department for Education and 2 others
• Updated: 22 May 2013

How adoption agencies should handle applications from people wishing to adopt a child from another country.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 12 March 2021

Guidance for local authorities and schools dealing with adults who have legal rights and responsibilities for a child.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 24 August 2023

Statutory guidance for local authorities on the assessment and approval process of foster carers for looked-after children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 15 July 2013

Statutory guidance for local authorities on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of privately fostered children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 25 July 2005

Volume 4: statutory guidance on fostering services for looked-after children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 3 July 2015

Information for British nationals who are considering entering into surrogacy arrangements in foreign countries.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and 1 others
• Updated: 1 November 2022

Departmental advice containing the national minimum standards applicable to adoption agencies and adoption support agencies.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 25 July 2014

This guidance, produced with Cambridge Family Law, aims to inform British nationals who are planning to have a child through international surrogacy.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
• Updated: 22 June 2022

What you need to know about registering with Ofsted if you want to open or manage an adoption support agency.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 18 December 2023

Statutory guidance for local authorities on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of privately fostered children.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 25 July 2005

Information about exception requests to adopt children from countries with special restrictions.

• From: Department for Education
• Updated: 3 April 2023

Ofsted's variation fees for children’s social care services.

• From: Ofsted
• Updated: 1 April 2024

A summary of what attending a review panel is like and the documents that you can submit to the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM).

• From: Independent Review Mechanism
• Updated: 19 September 2023