30Register of foster carers(1)

The Scottish Ministers may make arrangements for the establishment and maintenance of a register of foster carers for the purposes of facilitating—

(a)

either or both—

(i)

the approval (or otherwise) of persons as foster carers by fostering services,

(ii)

the placing of children with foster carers by fostering services,

(b)

foster care generally (including improvements in foster care).

(2)

The register is to include, in relation to each person who has been approved as a foster carer by a fostering service—

(a)

the person’s name and address,

(b)

whether—

(i)

the person is approved as a foster carer, or

(ii)

the person’s approval as a foster carer has been terminated,

(c)

where the person is approved as a foster carer, what foster care the person is providing,

(d)

where the person’s approval as a foster carer has been terminated, the reasons for that termination,

(e)

such other information in relation to the person’s current or previous approval as a foster carer as may be specified (for example, whether the person’s approval relates to any child or to a particular category of children and the number of children the person is permitted to have in the person’s care at any one time),

(f)

such other information about—

(i)

the person, and

(ii)

other members of the person’s household,

as may be specified.

(3)

The register may also include such information as is specified about persons who have been considered by a fostering service for approval as a foster carer but not so approved.

(4)

The information mentioned in subsections (2) and (3) is to be provided to the relevant person by the fostering service which approved or, as the case may be, did not approve the person to whom the information relates as a foster carer.

(5)

In this section, “specified” means specified in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers.