Bureaucratic Rules Hobble British Foster Parents

They need permission for haircuts and school trips

Foster parents are so scared of red tape that they are frightened they will have to ask for permission to get their children's hair cut or allow on school trips, a study has found.

A fifth of foster parents are not able to make the decision on whether or not their children can go on a school trip, which falls to the local authority to decide.

The study by The Fostering Network highlights the difficulties foster carers face in making day-to-day decisions for their dependents.

One foster child was forced to wait 16 weeks for authorities to decide on permission for a trip.