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Written question asked by Josh MacAlister (Labour) on Wednesday, 15 January 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 17 January 2025. It was answered by Janet Daby (Labour) on Thursday, 30 January 2025 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Department for Education: Foster Care

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) her Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies offers employees who are foster carers (i) flexible working, (ii) paid time off for (A) training and (B) settling a new child into their home and (iii) other support.

Answer

Employees at the department have a statutory right to request flexible working which applies from the first day of employment. Employees can make two statutory requests for flexible working in any 12-month period and this will include requests to support employees who undertake foster caring.

The department also provides employees who are foster carers with time off, paid and unpaid, for a variety of reasons relating to their fostering role, including to settle a child into their home or for training. This is in addition to any statutory right to time off to care for family and dependants.

Other support available within the department includes access to an Employee Assistance Programme, staff networks, the ability to request flexible working on an informal basis and Mental Health First Aiders.

​Information on the support provided by the department’s arms-length bodies can be found in the attachment.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
24280
Session
2024-26
Attachment
24280_attachment_arms_length_bodies_fostering
Related items
Deposited Paper DEP2025-0093
Thursday, 30 January 2025
Deposited papers
House of Commons
Deposited Paper DEP2025-0119
Thursday, 30 January 2025
Deposited papers
House of Commons
Subjects
Foster care Department for Education
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk