Inquiry call after Christian girl fostered by two Muslim families

MPS have been urged to launch an inquiry into the placement of foster children after a white Christian girl was reportedly put into the care of a nonenglish speaking Muslim family.

The child, aged five, who speaks English as her first language, has been looked after by two different Muslim households in the past six months.

The girl was reportedly told to remove her Christian crucifix necklace and was not allowed to eat carbonara because it contained bacon.

She was allegedly encouraged to learn Arabic in one household and was begging not to go back there because “they don’t speak English”, according to a confidential report from the local authority seen by The Times. She is also said to have told her mother since the placement in Tower Hamlets, London, that “Christmas is stupid”.

Neil Carmichael, the former Tory chairman of the education select committee, was leading an inquiry into fostering but the work was cut short by the general election.

Mr Carmichael, who lost his seat on June 8, said the committee should restart the work and examine how children are placed with foster carers because of the issues raised by the case.

He said: “That is not the sort of thing

‘We need to be sure that across the whole country foster carers are given sufficient support’

that we want to be seeing happening I would have thought.

“I think it is really important that young children are made to feel at home, made to feel comfortable, made to feel a fully fledged member of the family that they are in. They must be the key tests.”

Mr Carmichael added: “I don’t think we are looking at wholesale reform but I do think that we need to be sure that across the whole country foster carers are given sufficient support and the allocation of children is given proper due care and attention.”

In one of the homes, the mother wore a niqab, while in the other the mother wore a burka, both of which fully cover the face.

The child and her carers have not been identified.

Local authorities are supposed to consider religious, racial, cultural and linguistic background when making fostering decisions.

Tower Hamlets council have not said why the fostering decision was made.

A spokesman said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases or those that are subject to court proceedings.

“Tower Hamlets Council’s fostering service provides a loving and stable home for hundreds of children every year, and in every case, we give absolute consideration to our children’s background and to their cultural identity.”