Our aim is to ensure that childcare proceedings are completed as quickly as possible to make the process less upsetting for children and their families. We also want to make sure that court action is only taken if absolutely necessary.
The programme involves representatives from across the care proceedings system to implement the recommendations from the 'Review of the Child Care Proceedings System in England and Wales' and also oversees other work to reduce delay. Work includes revisions to both the statutory guidance for local authorities and the judicial protocol for case management.
The Care Proceedings Programme Office has been set up within Her Majesty's Courts Service to coordinate the delivery of the reforms. The programme is being overseen by the Ministerial Group on Care Proceedings, chaired by Bridget Prentice, the Minister for Family Justice, who works alongside:
- Lord Hunt, the Minister for Legal Aid at the Ministry of Justice
- Kevin Brennan, Minister for Children at the Department for Children, Schools and Families
- Gwenda Thomas, Minister for Social Services in the Welsh Assembly
Contact us: email 
or telephone 020 7210 0603
Other helpful sites and services
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The Review of the Child Care Proceedings System in England and Wales
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The Protocol for Judicial Case Management in Public Law Children Act Cases
[PDF 1.05mb, 102 pages] -
Thematic Review of the Protocol for Judicial Case Management in Public Law Children Act Cases
[PDF 143.33kb, 18 pages] -
Department for Education and Skills – Care Matters: Transforming the Lives of Children and Young People in Care