Private fostering: everyone’s responsibility
Published: 22nd Feb 2021
Getting it right for privately fostered children is everyone’s responsibility. Can you recognise cases of private fostering and do you know how to respond?
What is private fostering?
Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if they have a disability) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a close relative for 28 days or more. This is a private arrangement made between a parent and the child’s carer.
Close relatives are:
- step-parents
- grandparents
- brothers and sisters
- uncles or aunts (whether by birth/adoption or marriage/civil partnership)
Great aunts/uncles, cousins and family friends are not considered to be close relatives and would need to be assessed as a private fostering arrangement..
Examples of private fostering
Private fostering covers a wide range of situations. Here are some examples:
- Teenagers living with friends or extended family following problems at home
- Children who stay with another family while their own parents are unable to care for them (due to hospital admission, prison sentence, or family crisis)
- Children sent to the UK for education or health care by birth parents living overseas
What we need you to do
If you think a child in Birmingham is being privately fostered, you must contact Birmingham Children’s Trust.
If you are not sure, please contact us anyway and we can talk it through. We are here to ensure that all children that are privately fostered are safeguarded and supported and that their private foster carers and parents receive the advice that they need for a positive private fostering experience. Find out more about Private Fostering on our website or by picking up the phone.
If you would like general advice of information about Private Fostering then please do contact Family and Friends.
Contact Family and Friends team
- Telephone: 0121 303 2621
- Email: SGOandConnectedPersonsManagers@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk
If you have a referral for a specific child who you think is being privately fostered please contact our Children's Advice and Support Service (CASS).
Contact CASS
- Telephone: 0121 303 1888
- Monday to Thursday: 8:45am to 5:15pm
- Friday: 8:45am to 4:15pm
- Email: CASS@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk
Emergency out-of-hours
- Telephone: 0121 675 4806
Find out what happens after you contact us
Everyone’s responsibility
Getting it right for privately fostered children is everyone’s responsibility. Private fostering sits across the whole Trust as well with our multi-agency partners, families and members of the public.
Together we can ensure that more privately fostered children in Birmingham have the support they need.