Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has plans to include fostering as a recognised professional occupation.

The government’s independent review into foster care and the Education Select Committee inquiry considered the status of foster parents, including whether foster parents should be considered as professionals or employees. The department is carefully considering the recommendations of both reports and the government response will be published in spring this year. The Education Select Committee report is available here: https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/inquiries/parliament-2017/inquiry1/.

The independent review of foster care is available here: https://www.gov.uk/
government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/%0b679320/Foster_Care_in_England_Review.pdf.