An interim care order (ICO) gives a local authority shared parental responsibility for a child while care proceedings continue. It is not a final decision about adoption or long-term removal — but it can change where a child lives immediately.
What an ICO does
With an ICO, the local authority can decide where the child lives, subject to the court’s directions. That may mean foster care, kinship care, or remaining at home under a written agreement and monitoring.
How the court decides
The court balances risk of harm against the disruption of removal. Evidence, care plans, and the child’s wishes and feelings (where ascertainable) all matter. Orders should be proportionate.
When to get advice
If an ICO is being sought, urgent advice is essential. Deadlines in public law cases move quickly.