The Government yesterday issued draft regulations and minimum standards to improve the standard of children's homes.

Health Minister Jacqui Smith said the new standards aimed to radically improve the care provided in homes, protect children from abuse and neglect, and to make sure the people running children's homes are fit to do so.

Of the 58,000 children in care, about 6,500 are looked after in children's homes.

The standards were drafted following extensive consultation with children and young people who have experienced residential care, as well as professionals in the field.

Among organisations which helped in the consulation exercise were The Who Cares? Trust and the National Children's Bureau.

The regulations and standards will apply to all children's homes - council, voluntary or privately-run, and boarding school that accommodate children for more than 295 days a year in all areas of England.

Ms Smith said: "Children in care deserve to receive good quality care wherever they live in the country. We are committed to improving the care provided for them and these draft regulations and standards set out a key means to achieving this goal.

"These children need our protection. Over the last decade, serious concerns have been raised about the care received by children in children's homes and there have been a number of horrific abuse scandals.

"We must make sure that, for the future, we can be confident about the quality of care in children's homes.

"We have a duty as a society to ensure that children looked after are not subject to poor standards of care, abuse or neglect, and that they receive the same life chances as other children.

"A key feature of these standards is that rigorous checks must be carried out to make sure that people wanting to work in, or run, a children's home are fit to do so."

The draft standards are being sent out to all children's homes, councils, and a wide range of other interested parties as part of the three-month consultation. There are about 1,000 homes in the country. About two thirds are run by councils, and the rest are run by private or voluntary organisations.

After a twelve-week consultation period, comments received will be taken into account as appropriate, and the finalised regulations and national minimum standards will be published under section 22 and 23 of the Care Standards Act 2000.

The consultation material will be available on the internet on the National Care Standards Commission website