Children’s, Well-being and School’s Bill – Now Live
Summary
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 introduces significant reforms across children’s social care and education. The Act strengthens safeguarding systems, increases accountability, and enhances support for children in care and care leavers. For fostering providers, the changes create both operational and strategic impacts, particularly in relation to regional commissioning, financial oversight, and multi-agency collaboration.
Overview
Effective from 29 April 2026, the Act forms part of the government’s ‘Opportunity Mission’ to improve life outcomes for children. It introduces reforms focused on safeguarding, education, and care systems, with Part 1 (Children’s Social Care) having the most direct impact on fostering providers. Part 2 relates to School Measures and improving educational achievements and outcomes.
Key Themes of the Bill – Part 1
The key commitments of the Bill include:
- Keeping children together and safe
- Support children with care experience to thrive
- Make a government that puts children first
- Crack down on excessive profit making
- Remove barriers to opportunity in school
- Create a safer and higher quality education system for every child
- Drive high and rising standards for every children
The following areas provide an overview of the key measures from Part 1 of the Bill
Family Group Decision Making (FGDM)
Local authorities are to offer of family-led meetings before care proceedings. FGDM meetings would involve families coming together.
Safeguarding and Education Role
Education settings are now formally involved in safeguarding partnerships. It is not the aim for education to become a fourth safeguarding partners but to promote participation.
Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs)
New teams supporting child protection investigations with formal structures. Safeguarding partners including Local Authorities, the police and health authorities will establish MACPTs with a memorandum to set out the operations.
Information Sharing
Legal duty to share safeguarding information and introduction of a unique identifier for children. This expected to be piloted using NHS numbers initially.
Kinship Care
Local Authorities will publish a kinship offer. The definition of children in kinship care is also covered. This will be a positive move if more kinship carers can support children overall.
Virtual School Heads
This is now a statutory role for supporting educational outcomes – there is already the virtual school head role but this is currently non statutory. Local authorities are to have a dedicated champion to help improve school attendance, engagement and overall achievements.
Staying Close
Support for care leavers aged 18–25 is to be provided to eligible care leavers by each Local Authority. This would be to help find accommodation, access services, support on relationships, education, training and employment.
Care Leaver Support
Each Local Authority is now required to publish its “Local offer” for care leavers.
Homelessness Changes
Care leavers cannot be deemed as wishing to be intentionally homeless under the Bill.
Corporate Parenting
This is now expanded to wider public bodies including Secretaries of State, Schools, FE, Ofsted, NHS England, Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts, CQC, Youth Justice Board, Police
Regional Commissioning – roll out of Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs)
Measure are included in the Bill to give the Secretary to the State power to direct Local Authorities to join together for commissioning, analysis and sufficiency practices.
There have already been two pathfinder projects for RCCs in Greater Manchester and the South East. These are now expected to be extended to cover other regions across England.
Strategic accommodations functions of RCC include:
- Assessing current and future requirements
- Developing and publishing strategies
- Commissioning the provision of accommodation
- Recruitment of foster parents
- Development of new provisions or accommodation
- Any other functions under the LA’s duties under Section 22A, 22C and 22C on the Children Act 1989
Deprivation of Liberty
New framework for safe accommodation use and covering deprivation of liberty.
Provider Oversight
The Bill provides enhanced Ofsted powers including fines. This will include requirements for fostering groups and other children’s providers to drive improvements (if identified as being required).
Financial Oversight
Monitoring and contingency planning requirements are to be introduced for “difficult to replace” providers.
Measures include:
- Increased contingency planning, providers are to have a “Recovery and resolution plan”
- Operating an advance warning system for market exits
- To allow improved information sharing for the DfE with Ofsted and Secretary of State
Profit Caps – potential to introduce this through secondary legislation
To enable the Secretary of State to cap the profits of providers, with secondary legislation in the future.
It is considered a “last measure” should other measures not have any impact. Other measures include increasing transparency, improving the understanding of how the market operates and improved commissioning and forecasting
Workforce Regulations
Future rules for agency workers are to be introduced for Local Authorities primarily.
Neglect and Ill Treatment
New prosecutable offences are importantly introduced to cover all forms of abuse, including low levels.
Child Employment
Permits are to be required for working children – this is give improved flexibility and also recordings and management overall for employment.
Conclusions
The Act represents a significant transformation of the children’s care system, with increased collaboration, scrutiny, and focus on outcomes. Fostering providers are to adapt strategically and operationally to remain compliant and effective.
Please note, this news update is not to provide extensive guidance on the Bill and users should read the legislation and Bill in detail.
We will share a second blog post covering Part 2 of the Bill in the near future.