Care matters: time for change the white paper

Noel Arnold, Solicitor, Fisher Meredith LLP. Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care was published in October 2006. It acknowledged a legion of failings in the system responsible for this vulnerable group in society and proposed radical reforms to that system in order to better cater for those it affects (see July [2007] Fam Law 622). Following a period of consultation and the delegation of four independent working groups, the white paper was presented to Parliament in June 2007. Entitled Care Matters: Time for Change, the paper contains seven core chapters dealing with the different subject matters identified in the green paper. To deliver the changes proposed, the Government states that it will work in partnership with local government, the voluntary and private sector, and the wider children's workforce to ensure 'lasting change for this important group'. This article summarises for readers each chapter of the paper to provide a summary of the changes posited by the paper. For the full article see November [2007] Fam Law.

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