A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours.
A child who has been in the care of their local authority for more than 24 hours is known as a looked after child. Looked after children are also often referred to as children in care, a term which many children and young people prefer. Each UK nation has a slightly different definition of a looked after child and follows its own legislation, policy and guidance. But in general, looked after children are: living with foster parents living in a residential children's home or living in residential settings like schools or secure units. Scotland’s definition also includes children under a supervision requirement order. This means that many of the looked after children in Scotland are still living at home, but with regular contact from social services. There are a variety of reasons why children and young people enter care. The child’s parents might have agreed to this – for example,...
