Adoption provides a new permanent family for children whose
birth families are not able to bring them up. This gives those
children who may have had difficulties in their early lives an
important new sense of safety and belonging.
Foster care involves looking after other people's children in
your home. Foster carers provide for children's most basic needs
and give the care and attention that will help them grow and
learn.
The Kent Safeguarding Children Board procedures for responding
to children in need of protection from abuse or neglect are
followed by social services, police, health, probation and
education services in the Kent County Council and Medway Council
areas.
The Kent Children's Trust was established in September 2006.
Children's trusts are central to Government policy for improving
children's services,and all Local Authorities are expected to
introduce a Children's Trust by 2008.
All families experience difficulties at sometime and Kent Social
Services can offer advice and practical support at those times. We
want families to stay together wherever possible, and our work
requires us to help and protect children in need by working in
partnership with parents and carers.