The announcement came as the responses to the Care Matters green paper were revealed last week. As well as the formal responses, the Department for Education and Skills published a version of young people's thoughts on the proposals.

The views were mixed, but many respondents wanted the Government to concentrate on policies that would make a real difference to children, rather than all 122 proposals.

One of the main ideas that young people wanted developed was to ensure every person in a family is looked at as a potential carer before a child is considered for a care placement.

Speaking at the response launch, children's minister Beverley Hughes said: "One of the things that we have got to address coming out of the consultation is making sure at the outset that when a child is having difficulties that every option is being pursued, especially the option of other family."

Many young people wanted the chance to go to boarding school as an alternative to other care options and agreed there should be a £2,000 bursary available for higher education. Another option they want explored is whether councils should be prosecuted if a looked-after child does not attend school.

Young people also wanted the option to choose when they leave care between the ages of 16 and 21. Hughes said: "Some may be ready at 16 years old, but we have got to move to a position where that isn't the norm."

Stability of a placement and the need to have more contact with a social worker were raised as important points. Family group conferencing was seen as a way of keeping children out of care as was early intervention.

Speaking at a Priory Education Services' conference on looked-after children last week, social exclusion minister Hilary Armstrong said of the plans for Care Matters: "We should use, in terms of early intervention, well-evaluated programmes that we know work."

The idea of creating social care practices similar to GP practices received mixed responses, with some saying it could lead to a shorter decision making process while others felt it could dilute accountability.

The four working groups set up to look at areas of Care Matters are due to report back this spring. The white paper will take into account consultation responses and views of the working groups before the paper is published later in the year.

- See Analysis, p12

- See feature, p21.