Private fostering

Private fostering means a child under 16 (or under 18 if they have a disability) is being cared for by someone who isn’t their parent or a close relative, and the arrangement wasn’t made by the council.

Sometimes, in faith and community settings, a child or young person may need to live somewhere else for a while because of a difficult situation. In some cases, someone from within your organisation, networks or community is able and willing to offer them a safe place to stay. 

If this arrangement is expected to last more than 28 days, it’s called private fostering, and the local council needs to be told. 

• In England and Wales, you should tell the local authority as soon as possible. 
• In Scotland, you should let the council know at least 14 days before the child moves in. 
• In Northern Ireland, it’s best to give the council 6 weeks’ notice, although that’s not always possible.

Private fostering is different from: 

• general fostering, where the council arranges care. 
• kinship care, where a close relative or family friend looks after the child, often with legal support from the council. 

In private fostering, the council doesn’t have legal responsibility for the child’s wellbeing — but they still need to be informed. This helps make sure the child is safe and well cared for. In some areas, it also means the carer can get support and training from social workers. 

It’s important to remember that moving a child is a big change. Any decision to place a child in a private fostering arrangement should always be made with the child’s best interests in mind. 

A private foster carer might be someone from the extended family, like a cousin or great aunt. They could also be a family friend, the parent of the child’s friend, or even someone the family didn’t know before who is willing to care for the child. 

However, close relatives like grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts (including those related by marriage), or step-parents are not considered private foster carers. 

The private foster carer looks after the child day-to-day and is responsible for keeping them safe and well. But the child’s parent — or whoever has parental responsibility — still has overall responsibility for the child’s welfare. 

If you work with a child or young person who lives in a private fostering arrangement, remember that parents usually still need to sign consent forms for things like trips, media consent or medical treatment. 

If someone becomes aware of a private fostering arrangement that hasn’t been reported to the local council, and they don’t pass this information on, they could be breaking the law. 

If you find out about a private fostering situation, it’s important to let your local authority know. This helps make sure the child is safe and that the arrangement follows legal requirements. We recommend logging this contact with social services to keep a record and help prevent someone else in your organisation from unknowingly reporting it again.