Kent County Council

People looking after a child for 28 days or more who is not related need to inform KCC

County Hall chiefs are getting involved with Private Fostering Week in a bid to reduce the number of unofficial fostering arrangements.

Private fostering is when a person cares for somebody’s child, who is not related, for 28 days or more.

By law, Kent County Council needs to be informed of the arrangement, but a lack of awareness means many are not being registered.

To mark Private Fostering Week, KCC is calling on people to register information to ensure they get support and advice and do not fall foul of the law.

KCC cabinet member for specialist children’s services Jenny Whittle said: “If you went up to 10 people in street and asked them what private fostering was, you would probably get 10 different answers.

“That’s why we are backing the British Association for Adoption and Fostering’s Somebody Else’s Child campaign to raise awareness of this important issue.

“There are many reasons why people privately foster and I appreciate the invaluable role they play.

“I would encourage anyone privately fostering to notify us or, if you know someone who is, to pass on that information.

“It is a legal requirement to do so but for me it is equally important that we know about it, so we can provide any advice or support. It’s about making sure children are happy and safe wherever they live.”

Caroline has privately fostered and says people need to be aware of what it is.

She said: “Private fostering is something that not many people know about so there needs to be greater awareness. At the end of the day you are taking on somebody’s child and that’s quite a responsibility. I knew the council had to be told and people have nothing to worry about by doing so.

“You get the support of a social worker and it’s handy to have someone to bounce ideas off. There’s more to it than that. They also do the regular welfare checks to make sure everything’s going ok.”

No-one knows exactly how many children are privately fostered, but the Department of Health has estimated that there could be as many as 10,000 in England and Wales.

While many of the arrangements work well, there is concern that some children could be at risk of abuse or be victims of trafficking.

In the 12 months to March 2011 there were 2,332 notifications of private fostering arrangements in England.

To register a private fostering arrangement call 08458 247 100. More information is available on KCC’s website at www.kent.gov.uk/privatefostering or the British Association for Adoption and Fostering’s website www.somebodyelseschild.org.uk.