What it is
Private fostering is an arrangement a parent makes for their child to live with and be cared for by someone who is not a close relative. It’s classed as private fostering if:
- The child is under 16 (18 if the child has a disability)
- The private foster carer is not a grandparent, older sibling, aunt or uncle (full-blood or half-blood, or by marriage) or step-parent
- The arrangement lasts for 28 days or more, or is likely to.
There were 10,000 known examples in England at the last official count. People are unaware of the legal duty to inform the Council, so there are probably many more.
Private fostering is different from children placed with foster carers through the Council. These are not ‘looked after children’ under the Children Act, and it’s not fostering privately through a non-council agency.
Why we’re interested
These young people are potentially vulnerable, and Children’s Services must be aware of their arrangements so we can safeguard their welfare, monitoring and supervising private fostering placements against risk of abuse or neglect.
Professionals in all agencies who provide a service for children, young people and adults have a shared responsibility to notify Children’s Services of private fostering arrangements.
Professionals must actively double-check who the private foster carers are. For example, clarifying what ‘aunty’ or ‘brother’ means in each case – aunty, for example, can be a term of respect or affection, not a blood relative.
Who’s involved?
Private foster carers are often family friends, neighbours, someone in the community, the parent of a friend of the child, or extended family, such as a cousin, great aunt or great uncle. They can also be someone unknown to the child’s family.
Why it happens
Private fostering happens for many reasons:
children living with a friend’s family after separation, divorce or difficulties at home, or when parents are in hospital or prison; children coming from abroad for education
or health services; teenagers living with the family of a boyfriend or girlfriend; or people coming here to study or work who can’t care for their own children.
Your part as a professional
Professionals must be proactive in identifying and notifying Children’s Services of private fostering arrangements.
You must check where the child is living, and who with, at every appropriate intervention.
If the child is not living with their parents or a close relative, consider whether there is a private fostering arrangement.
Tell parents and carers that they must notify Children’s Services by law. If there is any doubt that Children’s Services have been notified, you must do so.
Private foster carers’ duties
Private foster carers must:
- Tell Children’s Services that they intend to foster a child at least six weeks in advance or, in an emergency, on the day it starts.
- Provide day-to-day care of the child in a way that promotes and safeguards their welfare and meets their needs.
- Tell Children’s Services of any changes in their circumstances, including change of address, any new offences, or when a child leaves their care.
Parents’ duties
Parents must:
- Tell Children’s Services of the private fostering arrangement if the private foster carer hasn’t done so already.
- Retain parental responsibility and take part in all decision making while the child is away with their carer.
- Give the carer as much information about the child as possible, including medical history and health records, school records, and religious and cultural background.
Children’s Services duties
Children’s Services must:
- Assess the private foster carer’s suitability and make sure the child is well cared for in an appropriate environment.
- Visit the child regularly and listen to their wishes and feelings about the arrangement. Assess whether the child’s physical, intellectual, emotional, social and behavioural development is appropriate and satisfactory, and their needs are being met, including religious, cultural and linguistic needs.
- Make sure that we and other agencies advise and support carers and the child where needed, including on health, education, housing, youth and community, and financial benefits and entitlement.
- Advise and support the parent where needed, including encouragement to maintain regular contact with the child.
- Remove the child if there is reasonable cause to suspect they are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm.
Contact Manchester City Council’s Children’s Services
To notify Manchester City Council’s Children’s Services of a private fostering, call 0161 234 5001 or email mcsreply@manchester.gov.uk
For information on benefit entitlements for families, please refer to https://www.gov.uk/