Stronger Families, Brighter Future (Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats)

Oxfordshire Liberal Democrats <info@oxfordshirelibdems.org.uk>

Stronger Families, Brighter Future

September 18, 2006 12:00 AM
By Cllr Jean Fooks in Liberal Democrat Conference

Jean Fooks spoke in Monday's debate on the new policy paper on 'Stronger Families, Brighter Futures'. She said that we are failing our looked-after children and must do better. She would have preferred the paper to be called 'Putting Children First'.

Jean said, "More emphasis on working with families, such as Family Group Conferences, would result in fewer children being taken into care and better outcomes for families and children.

"Foster carers are heroes and heroines and need to be well supported both financially and emotionally, with back-up support and respite breaks when needed. It appears that the Treasury team has rejected any proposals which might cost money, despite their being virtually certain to be 'Invest to Save' bids."

She criticised the paper for saying little or nothing about the housing problems faced by care leavers. "The good news is that while, under Labour, care leavers in Oxford had to go down the homelessness route, being housed in temporary accommodation first, under the Liberal Democrats in Oxford now there will be an allocation of permanent housing for care leavers at 18."