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The Fostering Network responds to consultations from the UK government as well as issuing its own consultations to inform policy documents. These consultations are an important part of our campaigning work, as they allow us to make the voices of fostered children, foster carers and their families and our other members heard in decision-making circles.

Review of the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services

The Department for Children, Schools and Families will be conducting a review of the National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services (NMS) this year, with the intention of implementing them by September 2009. The public consultation process has not yet begun, but we are taking this opportunity to ask our members what they want from the new standards. The Government has indicated that they would like to streamline the standards but we know there are many areas where more detail might be appropriate. With this in mind we want to know your thoughts about the key issues the standards should address and how they should be improved.

Please complete our questionnaire by Friday 23 May 2008.

Towards a professional foster care service

The final report on what it means to be a professional foster carer has now been published.

Recent consultations

These include our responses to national consultations, as well as responses from the foster care workforce and children and young people that provide the basis for our policies on key issues, and in turn influence the actions of governments in the UK.