to remain in or return to the care of his/her biological parents, or when appropriate, other close family members. Wherever possible, children should be brought up and cared for by their own parents and families. Carers should be helped to bring up children not able to live with their parents, and siblings should be kept together. 180. Where alternative care placements are necessary, the policy provides clear guidelines to be followed to ensure the safety and protection of children, and wherever possible, their reunification with their families and parents. Guidelines include directions that: 180.1 No child may be placed in alternative care without following prescribed procedures and consulting appropriate authorities; 180.2 No child should be removed for reasons of financial or material poverty, but be seen as a need for the GoSL should provide appropriate support to the family concerned; 180.3 All children’s homes must comply with prescribed standards and annually inspected. 181. It requires that each Local Council have a Welfare Department with the capacity to manage statutory work, including the supervision of care orders, foster care, adoptions and residential placements. 182. It further requires that the GoSL’s Welfare Departments should increase the pool of suitable and available foster parents and should ensure all foster placements are formalized through court orders. Each district should identify foster families to look after children who need short-term care and to this end, the MSWGCA will draw up guidelines regulating eligibility criteria, provide information and training for foster parents outline the responsibilities of foster parents and the local council’s welfare department. Progress has already been made in the development of networks of foster parents with the support of UNICEF. The Ministry has developed foster care networks in four districts and is in the process of scaling up in another three districts. The network is made up of a group of potential foster parents whose details are recorded in a foster parent register which provides details on their backgrounds, and all have been vetted and trained in foster care. 183. With regards to the practice of menpikin, or informal foster arrangements, which are commonly made between parents and another family (often relatives) for the child to reside with the family; usually for reasons of poverty and pursuit of better services and opportunities for the children concerned. Given the lack of oversight of these arrangements and given the potential dangers inhering within them, including higher levels of abuse and exploitation of children, the policy provides a framework for advocacy by chiefs, CWCs and social workers to ensure that placements are made so as to secure the best interests of the child. 184. The policy provides further guidelines: 184.1 as to the respective roles and responsibilities for ensuring safe alternative care from the national MSWGCA’s Children’s Affairs Directorate to the Local Council’s Child Welfare Department; to local Child Protection Committees; 6. Family Environment and Alternative Care  51