Private Fostering

Private fostering happens when a child is being looked after by someone other than a close relative for 28 days or more. This applies to any child up to the age of 16 years, or 18 years if the young person is disabled.

If a child is being looked after by someone who is not a close relative, regardless of how the arrangement came about, how good this is for the child, or how informal it is, it is private fostering.

Who is considered a close relative?

Close relatives are a child’s grandparents, parents, older brothers or sisters, blood-related aunts and uncles, or any carer with a Residence Order or a Special Guardianship Order (granted by UK courts).

A child’s cousins, great aunts and uncles, as well as parents’ ex-partners, family friends and neighbours are not close relatives, even though they may have a close relationship with the child.

What is Private Fostering?

Private fostering occurs when a child under 16 is cared for, for more than 28 days by an adult who is not a close relative, by private arrangement between the parent and the carer.

The Local Authority must be notified of and private fostering arrangements.

The Local Authority has specific duties in relation to private fostering arrangements, these include:

Checking the suitability of private foster carers.
Ensuring that private foster carers, parents and children are clear about who to contact for advice and support.
Monitoring the standards of care.

By law, Children’s Social Care must be informed about all private fostering arrangements, within the following timescales:

Six weeks before the arrangement is due to start, if they are not yet living with the private foster carers.
Immediately, if it is less than six weeks before the child is going to move in with private foster carers
Immediately, if the child is already living with private foster carers.

What happens when a notification is made?

A children's social worker will arrange to visit the private foster carer, child and parent within seven working days of notification. Once a private fostering arrangement is confirmed, the children's social worker will visit and provide advice and support as necessary for the child, parents and private foster carer.

The support offered includes:

Assistance for carers in applying for services
Mediation between parents and carers, if necessary
Support with accessing any relevant financial support – e.g. Child Benefit

The social worker will also work with the child to see how they feel about the situation, check they are being well cared for and going to school.

The social worker will complete a report and visit the child at least once every six weeks during the first year and every 12 weeks after that. This will allow us to find out the best way to provide support.

What if I think someone is being privately fostered?

If you think you know someone who is privately fostering a child, you can share this information with them or contact us directly. We can provide more advice about private fostering and the support on offer.