Private Foster Care - Parents and Carers Responsibilities
Last updated | 29/10/2008
Are you a Private Foster Carer?
Private Fostering is the term used when a parent or guardian places a child under school leaving age in the care of someone else who is not a close relative or officially approved foster carer for a period of more than 28 days.
You might be a private foster carer without realising it. For example:
- Are you looking after a friend's child while they work away from home
- Has your neighbour had trouble coping with a new baby and asked you to look after the baby for a few weeks?
- Have friends from abroad asked you to let their child stay with you while they attend school here?
If so this is private fostering and you have a legal responsibility to inform your local authority. There are many more examples and your social work department will be able to advise you if you are unsure.
The local authority has a responsibility to secure the welfare of all privately fostered children so they need to carry out a number of checks. The most important aspect of private fostering is the safety and welfare of the child and these reports and checks are there so that the Social Work Department can provide you with any advice and support you might need.
So, if you think that you might be, or are soon to be, a private foster carer, or if you are a parent or guardian who intends to place your child in someone else's care, please read the following guidelines. Your local authority can then help you ensure that the child is safe, happy and secure, no matter what their circumstances.
If you are a parent or guardian and you intend placing a child under school leaving age in someone else's care, who is not a close relative or an approved foster carer, for more than 28 days, this is what you should do:
- At least 2 weeks before the placement begins, you should contact your local authority Social Work Department and let them know what you intend to do.
- If the child has been placed in someone else's care in an emergency, you should contact the Social Work Department within 7 days of the emergency.
- You should give the Social Work Department certain information in writing; this will include where the child will be placed, who will be responsible for their care and any other information which the Social Work Department requires from you.
If you are planning to take someone else's child into your care for more than 28 days who is under school leaving age and not closely related to you, this is what you should do:
- At least 2 weeks before the placement begins you should contact you local authority in writing and explain what you intend to do.
- If the child is placed with you in an emergency, you must let the Social Work Department know within 7 days of the placement.
- If you change address while caring for the child, you must inform the Social Work Department in the area you are moving from and the area you are moving to.
- If the child dies, or is removed from your care, you should inform the local authority Social Work Department within 48 hours.
If you have any further questions please contact:
The Duty Social Worker
Education & Children's Services
Perth & Kinross Council
Pullar House
35 Kinnoull Street
PERTH
PH1 5GD
Tel: 01738 476768
