Closed petition: Require parents to pay child maintenance if the child is in Local Authority Care

Closed on 5 February 2026

We want the Government to make parents whose children have been removed from their care financially responsible by requiring them to pay child maintenance to the local authority until the child turns 18.

When a child is taken into care by the state—whether placed in foster care or residential care—the full cost of raising that child is currently covered by the local authority using public funds. In many cases, the parents retain parental responsibility but are not required to contribute financially. We believe this is inconsistent with the principles of the Child Maintenance Service, which requires non-resident parents to support their children.