What is Private Fostering?
Private fostering is when a child or young person under 16 years old (or 18 if they have a disability) is looked after for 28 days or more by someone who is not a close relative, guardian or person with parental responsibility. Close relatives include parents, step-parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Private fostering is very different from the care of children provided by local councils through approved foster carers
People become private foster carers for all sorts of different reasons. Private foster carers can be a friend of the child’s family, or be someone who is willing to care for the child of a family they do not know.
Common situations may be:
- children that have to live away from their family as a result of separation or divorce
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- children coming from abroad to access education and health systems
- children from overseas whose parents are studying or working during unsociable hours which make it difficult for them to use ordinary child care provisions
- teenagers are living with the family of a boyfriend or girlfriend
- parent admitted to hospital for long periods
- cultural exchange students
- boarding school children living with friends during the summer holiday
- refugee children
- any child whose parents have made a private arrangement for them to be looked after by someone else.
It does not refer to children on weekend or holiday visits.
What does it mean if my child is being privately fostered?
As parent you have a responsibility to inform Children's Social Services when you make arrangements for your child to be cared for someone else for a period longer than 28 days. The local council has the responsibility to make sure that such arrangements are appropriate and that all privately fostered children or young people's needs are being met.
What should I do if I'm privately fostering?
It is the law that Children's Social Services should be informed of all private foster care arrangements, so that they can make sure that such arrangements are appropriate and that all privately fostered children or young people's needs are being met. As a private foster carer you have a responsibility to inform the local authority when you agree to care for someone else's child for a period longer than 28 days.
When should the council be told about a private foster care arrangement?
The law requires that Children's Social Services be told about a private foster care arrangement at least six weeks before you intend to privately foster a child or young person. However if such an arrangement is made in an emergency, then Children's Social Services should be informed within 48 hours of you caring for a child or young person.
Notifying Children's Social Services What the Law says
By law, the local Children's Social Services Department must be informed about all
private fostering situations. The child’s parent(s), private foster carer and anyone else
involved in the arrangement are all legally required to inform them.
You can read more about what the law says about private fostering at Kent's public website and you can also download the following leaflets:
Contact details for Kent Children's Social Services
If you want more information about private foster care or if you want to inform Children's Social Services about a private foster care arrangement, please contact the following team:
Kroner House
Ashford
Kent TN24 8XU
Tel: 01233 652100