Buckinghamshire Council want to raise awareness of 'private fostering arrangements'

If so, then you could have started a ‘private fostering’ arrangement without realising.

Buckinghamshire Council wants to raise awareness of private fostering especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic which has meant peoples’ lives and circumstances may have changed.

There could be many reasons a child is living with an adult who isn’t their parent or a close relative, for example:

A teenager who’s living with their boyfriend or girlfriend’s family

A young person who is temporarily living with a friend if their parents are arguing or getting divorced

Parents have asked friends or family to look after their children due to working long and challenging hours

A child at independent boarding school who doesn’t go home for the holidays

A child living in the UK with friends or family while their parents work and live abroad

A child is living away from the family home because their parents or carers are suffering ill health

If the child has been living with another adult for 28 days or more, then it means they are under a private fostering arrangement and the local authority needs to be informed by law. Private fostering arrangements are absolutely legal and legitimate and are often the best solution for the child while they aren’t with their parents or carers, but certain checks do need to take place to make sure the child is being appropriately looked after.

This doesn’t apply to close relatives, such as grandparents or uncles and aunts, but anyone looking after a child under 16 (or 18 if the child is disabled) who isn’t closely related to them, for example, a friend or neighbour’s child or a cousin’s children, needs to let us know.

Councillor Tony Green is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Youth Provision. He said:

“This isn’t about the local authority ‘checking up’ on anyone. It’s about making sure that anyone looking after a child under a private fostering arrangement is aware they are doing so, and that they’ve told the council so we can make sure the right support is in place, that the child is being well looked after, and that the carers can access any resources they need.

Life has changed for many people because of the coronavirus pandemic and this might mean that for some families, new arrangements about who the child or children is living with are in place. If that’s the case then please let us know. We will then work closely with you to make sure everyone is happy and that the private fostering arrangement is working. So please get in touch with the council if you or someone you know is in this position.”