Search Legislation

Children Act 2004

 Help about what version

What Version

 Help about advanced features

Advanced Features

Changes over time for: Section 45

 Help about opening options

Changes to legislation:

There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Children Act 2004, Section 45. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. At the current time any known changes or effects made by subsequent legislation have been applied to the text of the legislation you are viewing by the editorial team. Please see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ for details regarding the timescales for which new effects are identified and recorded on this site.

45Power to establish registration scheme in EnglandE+W

This section has no associated Explanatory Notes

(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations require any person who fosters a child privately in the area of a [F1local authority ] in England to be registered for private fostering by that authority in accordance with the regulations.

(2)Regulations under this section may make supplementary provision relating to the registration of persons for private fostering, including provision as to—

(a)how a person applies for registration and the procedure to be followed in considering an application;

(b)the requirements to be satisfied before a person may be registered;

(c)the circumstances in which a person is disqualified from being registered;

(d)the circumstances in which an application for registration may or must be granted or refused;

(e)the payment of a fee on the making or granting of an application for registration;

(f)the imposition of conditions on registration and the variation or cancellation of such conditions;

(g)the circumstances in which a person’s registration may be, or be regarded as, cancelled;

(h)the making of appeals against any determination of a [F1local authority ] in England in relation to a person’s registration;

(i)temporary registration, or circumstances in which a person may be regarded as registered;

(j)requirements to be complied with by a [F1local authority ] in England or a person registered under the regulations.

(3)The provision which may be made under subsection (2)(a) includes provision that any person who, in an application for registration under the regulations, knowingly makes a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(4)The requirements for which provision may be made under subsection (2)(b) include requirements relating to—

(a)the suitability of the applicant to foster children privately;

(b)the suitability of the premises in which it is proposed to foster children privately (including their suitability by reference to any other person living there).

(5)The provision which may be made under subsection (2)(c) includes provision that a person may be disqualified where—

(a)an order of a kind specified in the regulations has been made at any time with respect to him;

(b)an order of a kind so specified has been made at any time with respect to any child who has been in his care;

(c)a requirement of a kind so specified has been imposed at any time with respect to any such child, under or by virtue of any enactment;

(d)he has been convicted of a criminal offence of a kind so specified, or a probation order has been made in respect of him for any such offence or he has been discharged absolutely or conditionally for any such offence;

(e)a prohibition has been imposed on him under any specified enactment;

(f)his rights and powers with respect to a child have at any time been vested in a specified authority under a specified enactment;

(g)he lives in the same household as a person who is himself disqualified from being registered or in a household in which such a person is employed.

(6)The provision which may be made under subsection (2)(c) also includes provision for a [F1local authority ] in England to determine whether a person is or is not to be disqualified.

(7)The conditions for which provision may be made under subsection (2)(f) include conditions relating to—

(a)the maintenance of premises in which children are, or are proposed to be, privately fostered;

(b)any other persons living at such premises.

(8)The provision which may be made under subsection (2)(j) includes—

(a)a requirement that a person registered under the regulations obtain the consent of the [F1local authority ] in England by whom he is registered before privately fostering a child;

(b)provision relating to the giving of such consent (including provision as to the circumstances in which, or conditions subject to which, it may or must be given).

(9)The provision which may be made under subsection (2)(j) also includes—

(a)a requirement for a [F1local authority ] in England to undertake annual inspections in relation to persons registered under the regulations (whether in fact privately fostering children or not); and

(b)provision for the payment of a fee by registered persons in respect of such inspections.

(10)Regulations under this section may—

(a)authorise a [F1local authority ] in England to issue a notice to any person whom they believe to be fostering a child privately in their area without being registered in accordance with the regulations; and

(b)provide that a person who, without reasonable excuse, fosters a child privately without being registered in accordance with the regulations while such a notice is issued in respect of him is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(11)Regulations under this section may provide that a person registered under the regulations who without reasonable excuse contravenes or otherwise fails to comply with any requirement imposed on him in the regulations is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.

(12)Regulations under this section may provide that a person who fosters a child privately while he is disqualified from being registered is guilty of an offence unless—

(a)he is disqualified by virtue of the fact that he lives in the same household as a person who is himself disqualified from being registered or in a household in which such a person is employed; and

(b)he did not know, and had no reasonable grounds for believing, that that person was so disqualified.

(13)Where regulations under this section make provision under subsection (12), they must provide that a person who is guilty of the offence referred to in that subsection is liable on summary conviction to—

(a)a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or

(b)a term of imprisonment not exceeding 51 weeks (or, in the case of an offence committed before the commencement of section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), not exceeding six months), or

(c)both.

(14)Regulations under this section may—

(a)make consequential amendments (including repeals) to sections 67(2) to (6) and 68 to 70 of, and paragraphs 6 to 9 of Schedule 8 to, the Children Act 1989 (c. 41);

(b)amend Schedule 1 to the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (c. 42) (social services functions) as to add functions of a [F1local authority ] in England under this section to the functions listed in that Schedule.

(15)Nothing in this section affects the scope of section 66(1).

(16)For the purposes of this section references to a person fostering a child privately have the same meaning as in the Children Act 1989.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the government department responsible for the subject matter of the Act to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Public Acts except Appropriation, Consolidated Fund, Finance and Consolidation Acts.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

Impact Assessments

Impact Assessments generally accompany all UK Government interventions of a regulatory nature that affect the private sector, civil society organisations and public services. They apply regardless of whether the regulation originates from a domestic or international source and can accompany primary (Acts etc) and secondary legislation (SIs). An Impact Assessment allows those with an interest in the policy area to understand:

  • Why the government is proposing to intervene;
  • The main options the government is considering, and which one is preferred;
  • How and to what extent new policies may impact on them; and,
  • The estimated costs and benefits of proposed measures.
Close

Timeline of Changes

This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.

Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources