People taking care of a child or young person they don’t have parental responsibility for have been urged to understand the support they’re entitled to. Private Fostering Week begins on Monday December 9, and Hull City Council is raising awareness of what people who foster privately must do, and how they can get help.
What is private fostering?
Private Fostering is when a child or young person is cared for by someone who is not a parent or close relative, for example a great grandparent, great auntie, great uncle, or cousin. This applies to a child or young person under the age of 16 years or under the age of 18 years if the child is disabled. Private fostering regulations apply when a child or young person is cared for on a full-time basis for 28 days or more.
This could be something agreed between the parents and carers, or where a young person has left home against their parents wishes and is living with a friend and their family.
With private fostering, the parents still have parental responsibility for the child or young person.
What help is available?
Private fosterers can get a range of support, including:
- Advice on benefits
- Parenting support and advice from a social worker or Hull Fostering
- Help in bringing families in crisis back together
What do people privately fostering need to do?
Anyone fostering privately must inform the council’s Children’s Services department. Ideally, this is six weeks before fostering arrangement begins. If this isn’t possible, tell the council as soon as possible.
It is required by law to tell Children’s Services about private fostering. Informing the council, helps protect the welfare of children and ensure the whole family is being supported.
Once the council is aware, a social worker will make a home visit to speak to the carer and the child. This is to ensure the child is safe, undertake an assessment and make sure the family is being supported.
What support is available for private foster carers?
Support may include:
- Advice on benefits
- Parenting support and advice from a social worker or Hull Fostering
- Help in bringing families in crisis back together
Councillor Linda Tock, Portfolio Holder for children’s services said: “Private Fostering Week is about reaching out to those who have a fostering arrangement. It’s really important people know what they must do, and how they can get support.
“Some people who foster privately may have no idea they must contact the council, or that they might be entitled to financial and practical help. Private fostering arrangements can happen quickly and be unplanned, so those involved may not have had the opportunity to plan for it.
“There are a lot of situations which can lead to private fostering arrangements. For example a teenager living with extended family or friends, or children being looked after because their parents are in hospital, serving a prison sentence, having a family crisis, or otherwise unable to care for them”.
If you have made an informal arrangement for your child under 16 to live with someone who is not a close relative, or are caring for a child you don’t have parental responsibility for, please call Hull City Council on: 01482 448 879.
Visit the Hull Children Young People and Families Self Service Hub to contact the team, make a referral or application. Find out more about private fostering by visiting Hull Fostering. You can access the internet for free at Hull’s libraries and Customer Service Centres.
