Private children's homes and fostering: CA 1989 s.63
Brings into effect Schedule 6 (private children's homes) and Schedule 7 (fostering more than three children without being treated as a children's home).
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Text in force at .
Source: legislation.gov.uk — The National Archives (legislation.gov.uk), reproduced under licence Open Government Licence v3.0.
What it actually says
This section gives effect to Schedules 6 and 7 of the Children Act 1989.
Schedule 6 contains provisions about private children's homes, including their registration, conduct and inspection.
Schedule 7 sets out the circumstances in which a person may foster more than three children without being treated as carrying on a children's home under the Children Act 1989 and the Care Standards Act 2000, or as providing a care home service under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016.
When it applies
- A person fosters four unrelated children and wants to know if they must register as a children's home.
- A private children's home operator needs to understand the requirements of Schedule 6.
- A local authority inspects a private children's home and refers to the rules in Schedule 6.
- A person in Wales fosters more than three children and the local authority questions whether they are providing a care home service.
What this section does not say
- This section does not contain the detailed rules for private children's homes; those are in Schedule 6 itself.
- It does not define what a private children's home is; that definition is elsewhere in the Act.
- It does not apply to fostering three or fewer children.
- It does not cover local authority children's homes or voluntary homes.
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This page reproduces the text of CA 1989 s. 63 in force at the date shown and explains it in general terms. It is not legal advice and takes no account of the circumstances of your case, which can change the answer completely. For a live dispute, for limitation periods, and before taking any step in court, consult a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.