Is your child living with someone else?

If your child is living with someone else on a full time basis and is not living with a relative or someone who has parental responsibility, he or she may be considered to be privately fostered. The Children Act 1989 and Private Arrangements for Fostering Regulations 2005 protect privately fostered children. 

A child or children living with one of the following would not be seen as being privately fostered:

• a grandparent
• a sister
• an uncle or aunt

They could be full or half relation, and could be related by marriage or civil partnership. This would not include a great aunt or great uncle or someone co-habiting with the child's parent. 

Private foster care occurs when a child under 16 (or 18 if disabled) is cared for and provided with accommodation by an adult who is not a relative and for 28 days or more, by private arrangement between parent and carer. 

Some of the situations that could involve you in a private fostering arrangement are:

• children whose parents have had to go away for a period of time and neighbours or friends of the family have been asked to look after them
• children who face difficulties within their own families because of illness, separation or family breakdown and may for a period of time, stay with a friend or neighbour, or friend of the family 
• children sent to this country for education or health care by parents living overseas

Notifying Dorset Council Children's Services

If you choose to enter into an arrangement with a carer, it remains your responsibility to ensure that the proposed private fostering placement is suitable and in the best interests of your child. 

You remain the person with parental responsibility for your child and you should continue to be involved in all decisions concerning the care of your child. 

It is therefore very important that you remain in frequent contact with your child and their carer. 

It's a legal requirement that you tell Dorset Council Children's Services at least 6 weeks before the arrangement begins, unless the arrangement is made in an emergency. In this case, you must make the notification with 48 hours. If you child is already in a private fostering arrangement, you must give notification as soon as you know about this requirement. 

You should also notify us when your child leaves, giving details of the person they are moving on to. 

Failure to notify Dorset Council of a private fostering arrangement is an offence. 

What is in your child's best interests?

It's in everyone's interest, especially your child's, that the person who's going to care for them has as much information about them as possible, including their:

• health
• eating preferences
• school
• hobbies
• religion
• ethnic or cultural background

This will all help the carer understand your child and take better care of them. 

The carer should also be encouraged to register your child with a local GP and if the child is school age, they should register and attend an appropriate school. 

What Dorset Council will do

We will visit your child and the private foster carer, as well as contacting you. We will complete an assessment to make sure your child is safe and will be cared for in a suitable environment. 

We will continue to make regular visits to your child. These visits will continue throughout your child's stay. This will include the offer of advice and support to you and the foster carer. 

Financial arrangements and information

The carer may be able to claim tax credits and/or social security benefits, such as Child Benefit and Universal Credit. 

How you can notify us