Government confirms position on accommodating lone children

Following a House of Lords judgement in May 2009 the Department for Children, Schools and Families confirmed its position that children provided with housing or accommodation by the local authority should be supported under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, not under section 17 or, as in the recent case, under housing law. Although the case involved a child from a refugee family, the policy applies to all children and includes unaccompanied children seeking asylum. A briefing on the case can be found on the Leaving Care website. The letter confirming the government’s position can be found on the website of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.