Raising awareness of private fostering

Dorset Residents are being asked to consider whether they’re in a ‘private fostering’ arrangement, if a young person living with them is not a close relative.

Private fostering is when a child or young person under 16 (or under 18 if disabled) is living with someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more. This might be a friend, a great aunt, a cousin or someone else known to the child or young person.

As today ( 5 November) is ‘Private Fostering Awareness Day’ the council is keen to encourage people to come forward if they know of a young person who is living under a private fostering arrangement.

Councillor Clare Sutton, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, said: “I don’t think people really know what private fostering is so I am keen that we use this opportunity to raise awareness that people should let us know if they come to an arrangement where their child lives with someone else. It applies equally if you are looking after a child who is not a close relative.”

Private fostering arrangements might come about because a young person is on a school holiday exchange that last more than 28 days, or they have chosen to live with a friend, perhaps because of arguments at home.

There are many more reasons, but private fostering arrangements may remain unknown to the local authority. Parents and carers are legally required to notify the council about such arrangements, but many go unreported.

This is a cause for concern as privately fostered children and young people, without the safeguards provided by law, are a particularly vulnerable group.

Paul Dempsey, Executive Director of Children’s Services, said: “It is so important that people let us know if they have a young person staying with them if it has lasted longer than four weeks.

“Private fostering is very different to what people understand normally by fostering, where children and young people are placed with local authority approved foster carers.

“With private fostering, families come to their own arrangements with people they know, but they should still tell us what they have agreed so we can provide the right support.

“We don’t want to intervene unnecessarily, but we do need to make sure all children are safe.”

A close relative is defined as being a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, or stepparent by marriage.

Dorset Council is also encouraging professionals and the wider community to speak up if they suspect a private fostering situation.

You can read more here or call the family support and advice line on 01305 228558.