PRIVATE FOSTERING
WHAT IS PRIVATE FOSTERING?
Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (or under 18 where the child has disabilities) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a close relative. This is a private arrangement made between a parent and a carer, with the intention that it should last for 28 days or more.
Private Fostering is a type of ‘Kinship Care’. The DfE ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023’ document, provides further examples of this type of care and information and guidance around supporting children living in these arrangements.
WHO ARE PRIVATE FOSTER CARERS?
A close family relative is defined as a ‘grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt’ and includes half-siblings and stepparents (by marriage or where a legal order has been made, such as a Child Arrangement Order); it does not include great-aunts or uncles, great grandparents or cousins.
Private foster carers can be from a child’s extended family such as a cousin or great aunt. They may also be a friend of the family, the parent of a friend of the child, or someone previously unknown to the child’s family who is willing to privately foster the child.
Caring for someone else’s child is not private fostering when the arrangement is made by the Local Authority (Children’s Social Care), or when the person looking after a child is an approved foster carer.
WHICH GROUPS OF CHILDREN ARE PRIVATELY FOSTERED?
Privately fostered children come from a variety of backgrounds and can include:
- A child sent from abroad to stay with another family
- A child whose parent (s) cannot look after them because of illness, work or study
- A child whose parent (s) have gone away
- A young person staying with a family while attending a school away from home
- A young person who having broken ties with their parents, are staying in short term arrangements with friends or other non-relatives
- An asylum seeking or refugee child
- Language student living with host family
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
The law requires parents, prospective private foster carers and anyone involved in arranging for a child to be privately fostered to notify Cheshire East Council of the arrangement.
However, many private foster carers (prospective and actual) parents and those working with children and families are not aware of the notification requirements. As a result, many private fostering arrangements remain hidden, leaving some children vulnerable to abuse and neglect.
Whilst most privately fostered children are appropriately supported and looked after, it is recognised that they are a potentially vulnerable group who should be monitored by the local authority, particularly when the child has come from another country.
In some cases, privately fostered children are affected by abuse and neglect, or are involved in trafficking, child sexual exploitation or modern-day slavery.
THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL
Haslington Primary Academy and Nursery recognises that it has a mandatory duty to report to the local authority when staff become aware of, or suspect that, a child is subject to a private fostering arrangement.
To aid awareness, parental responsibility for each and every child is established; steps are taken to verify the relationship of the adults to the child when registered.
Where a member of staff becomes aware of private fostering arrangements, they must notify the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will then speak to the family of the child involved to check that they are aware of their duty to inform Cheshire East. The DSL will also inform Cheshire East of the private fostering arrangements.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead, is aware that support for the child and kinship carers, can be provided the Virtual Head.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I IDENTIFY A PRIVATE FOSTERING ARRANGEMENT?
You should encourage parents/carers to notify Children’s Social Care. If you feel Children’s Social Care has not been made aware by parents/carers, then you should notify Children’s Social Care yourself via Cheshire East Consultation Service (ChECS) on 0300 123 5012 (option 2).