At the end of March 2008, 1,330 children were reported as being privately fostered, compared to 1,250 children in March 2007 and 980 children in March 2006.
But according to the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF), nobody knows how many children are privately fostered because carers often fail to notify their local authority when a private fostering arrangement begins.
In 2001, the Department of Health estimated there could be as many as 10,000 unregistered privately fostered children in England and Wales.
David Holmes, chief executive of BAAF, said: “The rise in notifications is a sign that awareness of private fostering may be growing, which is encouraging but still not enough. While some local authorities and their partners have been making strong progress, others need to raise their game.”
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
