Private foster carers urged to come forward
Warwickshire families who have other people’s children living with them are urged to inform the county council or risk breaking the law.
An arrangement whereby a child or young person under 16 is living with someone other than a close family member, for periods longer than 28 days, is considered to be a private fostering arrangement.
The law stipulates that all private fostering arrangements must be reported to the local authority, which has a duty to make regular visits to the child and monitor the suitability of the placement and the overall standard of care provided.
Warwickshire County Council will make all these necessary checks and can offer a package of support to private carers and the young people living with them.
Support for private foster carers includes an information pack which provides details about benefits they may be entitled to and the opportunity to access professional advice and help about children’s educational, health and emotional needs. Young people who are privately fostered will also receive their own information pack providing details of a range of support available to them from the county council’s Children’s Services department.
Private Fostering is very different from the care of children by the county through approved foster carers. It occurs when a child under 16 (or 18 if disabled) is cared for by an adult who is not a relative. A relative is a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle – they could be a full or half relation and could be related by marriage. A cohabitee of the mother or father would not qualify as a relative, neither would the extended family such as great aunts/uncles or parents’ cousins.
Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “Warwickshire County Council has a duty of care to provide a caring environment for the protection of the county’s children and young people.
“However we are unable to offer help, support and advice in situations which don’t come to our attention. Whether you are an adult caring for someone else’s children or a parent considering this type of arrangement, I urge you to contact us. We can offer assurance that the matter will be sensitively handled.”
More information about Private Fostering can be found on the British Association of Adoption and Fostering website http://www.baaf.org.uk or the Warwickshire County Council website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk