Family foster carers get 'raw deal'

People looking after young relatives or friends of children are treated unfairly by some councils, the Local Government Ombudsman has said.

Almost 150,000 children in England are cared for full-time by friends and relatives rather than their parents, mostly through informal arrangements.

But the watchdog says many of those families do not get the same kind of support from local councils as that given to official foster carers.

Mike Sergeant reports.