Fostering
Kinship fostering
If you are looking after a child or young person that is related to you, you may be entitled to financial assistance towards their care and should be assessed by us to ensure you can meet the needs of those in your care. If this sounds like your situation contact us and we can advise you.
Private fostering
Are you doing someone else a favour and caring for their child?
Is the child living with you for 28 days or more?
If yes, or your own child is living elsewhere, then you have a legal responsibility to tell us as soon as possible.
What the law says
Don’t place your child at risk
Your child is privately fostered if she/he is under 16 (18 if the child has a disability) and is living with someone who is not a close relative (e.g. grandparent, aunt or step parent) for longer than 28 days.
You must inform us
- At least 6 weeks before your child goes to live with a private foster carer
- Within 48 hours, if the arrangement is made in an emergency
- When the child leaves the private foster carer
It is an offence not to notify us – don’t risk a fine
We must
- Make an assessment of the needs of the child, and consider whether there is any help that should be provided
- Check that carers are suitable people to care for children and that the accommodation where children will be cared for is adequate.
- Decide whether the arrangements are satisfactory and can go ahead
- Visit privately fostered children regularly to ensure that they are safe and are receiving satisfactory care
Reasons why we should be involved
Four more reasons why we should be involved...
- Most children do not like living away from their parents for any length of time, and can become anxious and unsettled
- You may think that you know the person who is going to care for your child well, but we have access to information, e.g. from police and other records which is not available to a parent
- Taking on the care of someone else’s child is not often straightforward. Misunderstanding and conflicts can easily arise, even between friends
- A child is always a big responsibility. It is important that the carer has good understanding of your child’s needs, particularly if they are of a different race, culture or religion, or your child has other special needs
We will work in partnership with you and the private foster carer to ensure that the best arrangements are in place for the child.
Carers must also inform us about any child they are fostering or intend to foster privately and tell us when the child leaves their home.
Your responsibilities
If your child lives with a private foster carer, parental responsibility for the child remains with you. This means that although the private foster carer takes on the everyday care of your child, you continue to have overall responsibility for your child’s welfare.
Important decisions about the child, such as consent for medical treatment, changing the child’s school or moving the child to another carer cannot be made without your agreement.
You continue to be responsible for the financial support of your child including any maintenance.
It is important that you keep in regular contact with your children and his/her carers.
What next
We will arrange for a social worker to visit you to talk about your child’s needs and the proposed fostering arrangements.
The social worker will also visit the person who is fostering or intends to foster your child within 7 days of receiving notification about everyone in the household and inspect the accommodation. Everyone over 16 years will be checked for criminal convictions with the police.
The social worker will write a report about the arrangements, and a senior manager will decide whether the placement should go ahead, and whether any restrictions and/or requirements should be made, such as limiting the number of children that the carer can look after, or that particular safety measures are taken in the home.
If you would like to discuss these or any of the services mentioned in more detail please contact us.
