{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/foster-children-scotland-act-1984/section-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/foster-children-scotland-act-1984/section-2.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1984/56",
  "legislation_title": "Foster Children (Scotland) Act 1984",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/foster-children-scotland-act-1984",
  "path": "section/2",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Exceptions to section 1.",
  "text": "(1) A child is not a foster child while he is being looked after by a local authority or is boarded out by an education authority.\n(2) A child is not a foster child while he is in the care of any person—\n(a) in premises in which any parent, adult relative or guardian of his is for the time being residing;\n(b) in any residential establishment;\n(c) in any school within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980;\n(d) in any hospital or in any accommodation provided by a care home service registered under Part 5 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010;\n(e) in any home or institution not specified in this section but maintained by a public or local authority; or\n(f) if he has been in that person’s care for a period of less than 28 days and that person does not intend to undertake his care for any longer period.\n(3) A child is not a foster child while he is in the care of any person in compliance with a supervision order within the meaning of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 or a supervision requirement . . . or a community payback order under section 227A of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (c.46) .\n(4) A child is not a foster child while he is liable to be detained under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.\n(5) A child is not a foster child—\n(a) while he is placed in the care ... of a person who proposes to adopt him under arrangements made by an adoption agency within the meaning of section 1 of the Adoption Act 1976 or section 119(1) of the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 4) . . .\n(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(6) The reference in subsection (1) above to a child being looked after by a local authority shall be construed as if it were a reference to which section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 applies.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(1) substituted (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 35(2)(a); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(2)(d) substituted (1.4.2002) by 2001 asp 8, s. 79, Sch. 3 para. 12(2); S.S.I. 2002/162 arts. 2(f)(h) (subject to arts. 3-13)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(2)(d) substituted (1.4.2011) by The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 (Consequential Modifications) Order 2011 (S.S.I. 2011/211), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 5(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 2(2)(f) substituted (14.10.1991) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(4)(6), Sch. 12 para. 42, Sch. 14 para. 1(1); S.I. 1991/828, art. 3(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(3) repealed (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4)(5), Sch. 4 para. 35(2)(b), Sch. 5; S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(3) substituted (13.12.2010) by Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 13), s. 206(1), Sch. 2 para. 36; S.S.I. 2010/413, art. 2, Sch. (with art. 3(1))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(4) substituted (27.9.2005) by Mental Health (Care and Treatment0 (Scotland) Act 2003 (Modification of Enactments) Order 2005 (S.S.I. 2005/465), art. 1, Sch. 1 para. 16(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(5)(a) repealed (28.9.2009) by Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 4), s. 121(2), Sch. 3; S.S.I. 2009/267, arts. 1(2), 2 (with arts. 3-21) (as amended (7.5.2012) by S.S.I. 2012/99, art. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in s. 2(5)(a) substituted (28.9.2009) by Adoption and Children (Scotland) Act 2007 (asp 4), s. 121(2), Sch. 2 para. 3; S.S.I. 2009/267, arts. 1(2), 2 (with arts. 3-21) (as amended (7.5.2012) by S.S.I. 2012/99, art. 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "S. 2(5)(b) and words immediately preceeding it repealed (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4)(5), Sch. 4 para. 35(2)(c), Sch. 5; S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "S. 2(6) added (1.4.1997) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 35(2)(d); S.I. 1996/3201, art. 3(7) (as amended by S.I. 1997/744, arts. 2, 3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1980 c. 44."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M2",
      "text": "1969 c. 54."
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M3",
      "text": "1976 c. 36."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 2(5)(a) modified (1.11.1994) by S.I. 1994/2804, reg. 3, Sch. 2 para. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "S. 2(5)(a) modified (6.4.2010) by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Parental Orders) Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/985), regs. 1(1), 5, Schs. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 2(5)(a) modified (21.12.2018) by The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Parental Orders) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1412), reg. 1(2), Sch. 4 para. 12"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/56/section/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:01:02.861682+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}