What does it mean if a child is looked after in the care system?

In England, if a child is described as a ‘looked after’ child it means that either:

• Children’s services are providing the child with a place to live and with a carer. This might be with unrelated foster carers, or in residential care for example, or
• A place to live and carer for the child has been arranged by children’s services. And is supported by children’s services. An example is a grandparent who has been assessed and approved by children’s services as a kinship foster carer for a child, or
• Children’s services are providing or arranging for a child to live in placement in which their parent is also present (for example, a mother and baby foster placement, a residential assessment unit, or with a family member who supervises the care provided by the parent).