This is a request, made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, for information held by your local authority. The department holding the information is that which has lead responsibility for dealing with policies relating to children looked after in the care system. Please provide the following information that your local authority holds (please tick if relevant):

1. Does your local authority have a current policy of charging parents whose children are in the care system?
• Yes
• No

2. Does the local authority have a current policy of charging young people of the age of 16 or over who are in the care system?
• Yes
• No
If the answer to 1 AND 2 is no, please jump to question 23.

3. Please provide a copy of the most current version of your charging policy.

4. Please provide the dates:
i. When the policy was agreed
ii. When the policy started to be implemented
iii. When the policy has been reviewed (if applicable)

5. Does the charging policy apply to: all parents of children in care under a section 20 voluntary arrangement?
• Yes
• No

6. Does the charging policy only to apply to some parents of children in care under a section 20 voluntary arrangement
• Yes
• No
• Not sure
If yes, please specify which are included or excluded.

7. Are there any circumstances in which the policy would not be applied (e.g. if the children is an unaccompanied asylum seeking child in care?
• Yes
• No
• Not sure
If yes, please specify those circumstances when the policy would not be applied.

8. Does that policy apply to any other parents, for example, those whose children are on a full care order?
• Yes
• No
• Not sure
If yes, please specify.

9. Does the policy apply to young people aged 16 or over?
• Yes
• No
If yes, please specify any circumstances when charging is applied or is not applied.

10. Was there a process of consulting with children in care and with parents and family members of children in care in your local authority during the development of this charging policy?
• Yes
• No
• Not sure
If yes, please provide details of what the process involved.

11. When charges are being considered or implemented for an individual child, what is the process of engaging with the Independent Reviewing Officer of the child in care?

12. What is the total number, by financial year, of children in care who have parents who have been charged under this policy?

13. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of parents who have been charged under this current policy.

14. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of ‘contribution notices’ served to parents who have been charged under this current policy.

15. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of parents from whom payments have actually been received under this current policy.

16. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of ‘contributions orders’ relating to parents that the local authority applied for since the current policy was enacted.

17. Please provide details, by financial year, of what the weekly charge to parents is per child under this current policy, including details of any variations according to the child’s age.

18. Is the charge to parents means-tested?
• Yes
• No
• Not sure

19. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total amount of money received by the local authority from parents charged under this current policy.

20. Please provide details, by financial year, of the number of children in care whose parents have been charged for their care, according to the child’s age when they were first charged:
i. 0-5 years old:
ii. 6-10 years old:
iii. 11-16 years old:
iv. 16-18 years old:

21. In circumstances where parents have been charged, what involvement did children’s services have immediately before the child became a child in the care system? Please provide details of the number of children according to the children’s services involvement they had before the child became a child in care:
i. No prior involvement
ii. Early Help
iii. Child in Need
iv. Child Protection
v. Formal pre-proceedings
vi. Care proceedings
If involvement overlaps (for example, if a child was on a child protection plan and subject to a formal pre-proceeding process) please assign it to both.

22. Please indicate if this policy includes a specific provision for directly charging 16 and 17 year-olds in care under section 20 voluntary arrangements for the costs of their care (not including accommodation service charges)
• Yes
• No
• Not sure
If the answer is yes:
i. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of 16 and 17 year-olds who have been charged under this provision in the policy.
ii. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of ‘contribution notices’ served to 16 and 17 year olds who have been charged under this current policy.
iii. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of 16 and 17 year-olds from whom payments have actually been received.
iv. Please provide details, by financial year, of the total number of contribution orders relating to 16 and 17 year olds that the local authority applied for since the current policy was enacted.
v. Please provide the details of the weekly charge to 16 and 17 year-olds under this provision in the policy, including details of any variations for age.
vi. Please provide details of the total amount of money received by the local authority from 16 and 17year-olds under this provision in the policy.

23. Please indicate whether your local authority requires 16 and 17 year-olds in care to cover any service charges relating to their accommodation.
• Yes
• No
• Not sure
If the answer is yes:
i. Please provide details of the total number of 16 and 17 year-olds who are in care and are required to pay an accommodation service charge.
ii. Does your local authority have a cap on the amount of weekly accommodation service charge that a 16 or 17 year-old in care is required to pay?