Childcare advisers face huge legal bills under new laws, warns board

THE statutory body which advises on the appointment of legal advisers in childcare proceedings has claimed new legislation could saddle Guardian ad Litems with massive legal bills.

The Children Acts Advisory Board (CAAB), which is to be subsumed into the Office of the Minister for Children, has said legislation proposed by that office would also reinforce many of the current flaws in the system.

The criticism comes as Barnardos, which operates its own Guardian ad Litem (GAL) system, revealed that the number of referrals has soared this year.