What is private fostering?
Private Fostering is very different from approved foster care arranged by the Local Authority; it is a private arrangement made where a parent asks another adult to take care of their child on a full-time basis for 28 days or more in the other adults home.
It is only private fostering if the other adult is not a close relative like a brother, sister, stepparent, grandparent, aunt or uncle and if the child is aged under 16, or under 18 if the hcild is disabled.
Kirklees private fostering leaflet
If you are thinking of arranging for your child to live with a private foster carer, you must tell us six weeks before the arrangement starts or immediately if it has already started.
It is important you know that, whilst the foster carer becomes responsible for the day to day care of the child, you (the parent) retain responsibility for the welfare of your child
This means you should be:
- Involved in the planning for you child's future
- Involved in decisions affecting your child's future
- Able to have your child back home to live with you at any time you chose
- Expected to financially support your child
What you should do:
- Give the private foster carer as much information as possible about your child including daily routine, diet, health information, religion or cultural preferences, school records and hobbies
- Make sure the carer can contact you
- Provide written permission for the carer to sign a Medical Consent Form for the child
- Agree financial arrangements with the carer for caring for your child
- Be clear about how long the private fostering arrangment will last
Private Fostering - Is someone else looking after your child?
If you are thinking about caring for someone else's child, you must tell us at least six weeks before the child arrives or if the child comes to live with you in an emergency, you must tell us within 48 hours of the child coming to live with you.
Social Services will be able to advise you how best to plan for the child's stay and will offer advice and support throughout the child's stay with you.
What you should do:
- Agree with the child's parents on how best to manage the day to day care of the child (it may be helpful to have a written agreement)
- Help the child you are caring for maintain regular contact with his/her parents
- Promote the physical, intellectual, emotional, social and behaviourhal well-being of the child
- Keep Social Services informed of any changes of address
Private Fostering - Do you look after someone else's child?
Many professionals who work with children will come across private fostering situations. If you work in the health service, schools, housing or other public sector, you have a duty to tell us if you become aware of private fostering arrangements and believe that Social Services have not, or will not, be informed.
What you should do:
- Explain to the parent of private foster carer that the law says that they must inform Social Services of private foster care situations
- Encourage the parent or private foster carer to contact their local Gateway to Care
- If you believe that Social Services are, and will remain, unaware of a private fostering situation, you should contact us through one of our Gateway to Care. You should let the parents or carers know that you are notifying social services but not if you think thids will put the child at risk.
Private Fostering - What is your role?
We have a duty to ensure that the child will be safe and that the arrangement is in their best interest.
To do this we will:
- Arrange to visit the child's parents, the priate foster carer and the child
- Gather confidential information and make appropriate enquiries to ensure that the child will be safe from harm
- Ensure that the home is suitable and safe
- Ensure that arrangements for contact between the child and his/her parents have been agreed
- Ensure that financial arrangements, health care and education provisions have been agreed and are in place
- Make a written assessment of the suitability of the private foster care arrangement
- Once the private foster arrangement has been agreed, we will make regular visits to the child and carer and continue to offer advice and support
One of our Social Service Information Points will be able to give you further advice and take details to pass onto our Children & Families Initial Assessment Team where a social worker will contact you
Email: gatewaytocare@kirklees.gov.uk
Phone: 01484 223000 (Huddersfield)
01484 325070 (Dewsbury)
01484 335072 (Cleckheaton)
British Agency Adopting and Fostering (BAAF) is an independent organisation and charity, promoting the highest standards of child centred policies and services for children separated from their families of origin. Visit their website at www.baaf.org.uk
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