Welsh Ministers have made the Fostering Panels and Care Planning (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026, which take effect on 1 April 2026. The instrument adjusts visit and review schedules for placements with ‘connected persons’ under section 81(6)(a) of the Social Services and Well‑being (Wales) Act 2014 and introduces time‑limited information‑sharing duties on fostering providers.
Care planning rules on visits are revised by amending regulation 31 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (Wales) Regulations 2015. After the first year of a placement with a connected person, the responsible authority must set the visit frequency following consultation with the independent reviewing officer, the foster parent, the parent or person with parental responsibility, and the child, with a cap of six months between visits. Existing maxima remain for other placements: three months where a placement is intended to last until the child is 18, and six weeks in any other case (2015 Regulations).
Review timings under regulation 39 are also adjusted. The standard approach-first review within 20 working days, the second within three months, then at six‑monthly intervals-continues to apply in general. For connected‑person placements made under section 81(6)(a), subsequent reviews move to a locally determined schedule following consultation, with a maximum interval of 12 months (2015 Regulations).
The 2015 Regulations use defined shorthand which is retained in the amendment: ‘IRO’ is the independent reviewing officer; ‘F’ is a local authority foster parent; ‘P’ is a parent or a person with parental responsibility; and ‘C’ is the child. Making the consultation duty explicit in the visit and review provisions centres decision‑making on the professionals and individuals closest to the case while setting firm outer limits (2015 Regulations).
The Fostering Panels (Establishment and Functions) (Wales) Regulations 2018 are amended to clarify scope. References to ‘members of a person’s household’ now include anyone living in the household under a placement or other arrangements with the local authority. This ensures assessments and checks capture all relevant adults and children ordinarily resident in the home (2018 Regulations).
Assessment requirements for prospective foster parents are strengthened. Where an applicant was previously approved by another provider in Wales or by a provider in England under the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011, and the applicant consents, the assessing provider must request access to the prior assessment report, the most recent approval review and other relevant records. Requests must be made in writing. Assessors must obtain the information listed in Schedule 1 according to route-Part 3 for relatives, friends or other connected persons, Part 2 for all others-alongside any additional information considered relevant (2018 Regulations).
A new regulation 10A creates a clear duty to share information. When a provider receives a written request for references or records under regulation 7, it must supply the information within 15 working days, at no cost to the requesting provider, unless disclosure is barred by an enactment or other rule of law. This is intended to reduce duplication and speed up transfers between agencies (2018 Regulations).
Schedule 1 is expanded with a new Part 3 for connected‑person assessments. It emphasises a rounded picture of identity and background, any current or past local authority involvement, family dynamics and relationships, skills and capacity to meet the named child’s needs, safeguarding within that context, lifestyle and commitments, the support or interventions required, and the applicant’s ability to work with that support (2018 Regulations).
For practitioners, the practical impact is immediate. Local authorities and fostering agencies will need to update policies, templates and case‑management workflows to reflect risk‑based planning for kinship placements within the six‑ and twelve‑month maxima, build a robust record of required consultations, and put in place processes to meet the 15‑working‑day, no‑fee sharing obligation. The timetable aligns with the wider programme under the Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025 to reform children’s social care and bolster kinship‑focused provision in Wales.