Private foster carers information for carers, children, parents and professionals.
Date Published : 03 March 2008
Walsall Safeguarding Children Board private foster carers information for carers, children, parents and professionals.
What is private foster care?
- Is someone else’s child living within your home?
- Do you have a private arrangement to look after someone else’s child or children?
- Will this child or children be living with you for 28 consecutive days or more?
- Are you not their immediate relative or legal guardian?
Then you are likely to be a private foster carer and you must inform your local authority.
Information for carers
It is a legal requirement that private foster carers must advise us of their intention to privately foster a child or young person at least 6 – 12 weeks in advance.
In an emergency or if a child or young person is due to arrive in your home you must notify us immediately upon the child or young person’s arrival.
If the child or young person is already in your home it is essential that we are notified immediately.
Private fostering poster(PDF 836KB)
Information for carers(PDF 218KB)
Information for parents
The parents of a child or young person who is not living at home and is privately fostered must advise us of the Arrangement at least 6 – 12 weeks in advance.
If your child or young person is already resident away from home and is privately fostered you must advise us immediately.
It is our legal duty to make sure that all private fostering arrangements are safe for the child and young person. We can only do this if we are made aware of the arrangement. Once we are notified it is our job to check the suitability of the private foster carers and any household members, make six weekly visits to see the child or young person and to offer help and support.
Private fostering information for parents(PDF 213KB)
Information for children and young people
Private fostering is when you are under 16 and you live with an Adult who looks after you in their home instead of mom and dad. This person will be an older cousin, a great aunt or a great uncle, a great grandparent for example. Your mom and dad will have agreed that this person can look after you in their home and may be paying some money to help them look after you.
The law says that a social worker must visit you regularly to check that you are well looked after. A social worker is a person who works for the council and it is their job to do this.
The social worker will visit you to make sure you are happy and to see if the person looking after you needs any help. The social worker will contact your mom and dad to make sure you are happy and healthy. The social worker will also give you their name and contact number.
You can talk to your mom and dad after reading this information and you can talk to the person who you live with.
If you are not happy where you are living you can always talk to a social worker or your mom and dad. Both will try to make things better for you. Most times things go really well in private foster care.
If you have any more questions about private fostering please speak to your social worker or your mom and dad and you can contact us on 01922 658170
Private fostering information for children and young people(PDF 194KB)
Information for professionals
Private foster carers and birth parents are legally required to notify us. Unfortunately, many do not know of this requirement to do so. This means that we are unable to make sure that the children and young people who are in private foster care are safe, healthy, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and will achieve economic well being.
All agencies need to help us by being proactive in identifying and notifying us of private fostering arrangements that they become aware of in a timely and professional manner.
If you know or suspect a child or young person is in private foster care please notify us or support the parent and or carer to do so.
Private fostering information for professionals(PDF 221KB)
Contact us:
Vulnerable Children Initial Response Service
The Quest, 2nd floor
139-143 Lichfield Street
Walsall
WS1 1SE
Telephone 01922 658170
Email barnettjenni@walsall.gov.uk for more information
Website Walsall Safeguarding Children Board
In an emergency when our offices are closed on evenings and weekends please contact the Emergency Response Team on 0845 111 2836.