Support for children previously in care

The term 'child previously in care' applies to those children who had the status of being 'in care' of a local authority in England and Wales but who have now left care through:

• An Adoption Order (AO)
• A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) (also see section below)
• A Child Arrangements Order (CAO)
• Being adopted from 'state care' outside England and Wales

Please note CAOs were formerly known as Residence Orders. The orders must still be current.

Special Guardianship Orders

To be considered previously in care, a child must have been in the care of a local authority immediately before the SGO was granted.

If a suitable guardian stepped in and the child was never taken in to care, then they would not meet the Department for Education (DfE) definition of being previously in care.