Council to be questioned after placing Christian girl with Muslim foster carers

Aug 29, 2017 by Jill

by Jamie Grierson, Guardian:

The children’s rights watchdog is to investigate reports that a five-year-old Christian girl was left distressed after being placed in foster care in two Muslim households in east London.

The office of the children’s commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, confirmed it would be contacting Tower Hamlets council to find out why the decision was made. The child has reportedly been in the care of a Muslim family for the past six months.

The Times published an article on Monday after seeing confidential local authority reports, in which a social services supervisor describes the child sobbing and begging not to be returned to one foster carer because “they don’t speak English”.

The reports state that the supervisor heard the girl, who at times was “very distressed”, claiming that the foster carer removed her necklace, which had a Christian cross.

Longfield said: “I am concerned at these reports. A child’s religious, racial and cultural background should be taken into consideration when they are placed with foster carers.”

A spokesman for the children’s commissioner confirmed the office would be contacting Tower Hamlets to find out more about the case.

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Read also: Foster-care and “the religious background of the child” by Frank Cranmer, Law and Religion UK