Private Fostering

Private fostering is an arrangement whereby a child under the age of 16 (or 18 if the child has a disability) lives for 28 days or more in the care of someone who is not the child’s parent(s), a person with parental responsibility for the child or a relative of the child. This can be with someone from their extended family, such as a great aunt or uncle or with a friend of the family. It is not private fostering when a child is living with a close relative, which includes grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles or step-parents.

If you are privately fostering a child, you must tell your local council about this arrangement. A social worker will visit you and the child to make sure the child is safe and being properly cared for. The social worker will do background checks on you. They can also offer help and support.

You must tell your local council if you’re a parent and you’ve asked someone who isn’t a close relative to look after your child.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has information about private fostering in Greenwich What is private fostering? | Private fostering | Royal Borough of Greenwich (royalgreenwich.gov.uk)

The DFE has information about private fostering Looking after someone else’s child – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)