Private Fostering

What is private fostering?

When a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled) is cared for 28 days or more by someone who is not their parent or a close relative this is called a private fostering arrangement.  It is a private arrangement between a parent and the carer.  The local council is not usually involved but the carer or parent should notify the Council.

Close relatives are defined as grandparents, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether of full blood or half blood or by marriage) or step-parent (a parent’s unmarried partner is not a step-parent in this context).
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council have a legal duty to ensure that any child or young person ordinarily residing in the borough is safe, well looked after and does not come to any harm in a private fostering arrangement, by checking the suitability of the private foster carers, making sure that he/she and their carer are visited regularly and offered advice and guidance when needed and monitor the overall standard of care.  

Resources

• Private Fostering Leaflet for Families
• Private Fostering Leaflet for Professionals
• Private Fostering Frequently Asked Questions – Coram BAAF

What parents or private foster carers must do

The law (Children Act 1989 and Private Fostering Regulations 2005) requires you to notify Children’s Services within 6 weeks of:

• your child going to stay with someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more, or
• you are going to look after someone else’s child for 28 days or more.

If you are a professional who becomes aware of a child in any private fostering situation – whether proposed or where the placement has begun – you must advise the private fostering carer, the parents and any other person involved in making the arrangements to contact the office below. You should advise to them that it is a potential offence not to do so.

How to notify Children’s Social Care in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea or Westminster City Council

If you are aware of a child who may be in a private fostering arrangement, or who may potentially be placed in a private fostering arrangement you must contact the relevant Local Authority Front Door: 

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: 

• telephone: 020 7361 3013 (9am – 5pm weekdays) 
• Emergency Duty Team: 020 7373 2227 (out of hours, plus weekends and bank holidays)
• email: [email protected]

Westminster City Council: 

• telephone: 020 7641 4000 (9am – 5pm weekdays)
• Emergency Duty Team: 020 7641 2388 (out of hours, plus weekends and bank holidays)
• email: [email protected]       

How a practitioner or agency can recognise private fostering

Private fostering is an arrangement that is made privately and does not involve the local authority. For example, parents may arrange for their child to be cared for by an extended member of their family, a neighbour, friend or even someone unknown to the child. Many private foster carers and parents are not aware of the notification requirements. As a result, many of these care arrangements remain hidden.

Private fostering can be helpful for a child but may leave some children vulnerable to abuse or neglect.
There is a legal requirement for private foster carers and parents to notify the local authority of all private fostering arrangements. It is a potential offence not to notify the local authority, without reasonable cause.

Private fostering situations can include:

• children or young people who are sent to this country for education by their birth parents from overseas.
• teenagers living with a friend’s family because they have fallen out with their parents.
• children staying with another family because their parent has been hospitalised.
• a child from overseas staying with a host family while attending school, or overseas students at boarding school who stay with a host family over the holidays – for more than 28 days.