A: Private fostering is an arrangement whereby a child under the age of 16 (or 18 if the child has a disability) is placed for 28 days or more in the care of someone who is not the child's guardian or close relative, through a private agreement between the parent and carer.
The local authority will need to be made aware of the situation to check that arrangements are satisfactory.
Private foster carers can be from the extended family, e.g. a cousin or a great aunt, but cannot be a relative as defined under the Children Act 1989: "a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt (whether full blood or half blood or by marriage or civil partnership) or step-parent". Such arrangements are considered to be kinship care, rather than private fostering.
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
