When you arrange for your child to be looked after by someone else or, you are looking after somebody else's child, this is referred to as a private fostering arrangement. The law says that private fostering arrangements must be reported to the Local Authority by the parent and/or person caring for the child.
Private fostering does not apply if the child is being looked after by a close family member, such as their:
- Brother or sister
- Stepparent who is married to the child's parent
- Grandparent
- Aunt or uncle
Private fostering does apply if the child is being looked after by another family member, such as their:
- Cousins
- Stepsiblings
- Great grandparents
- Great aunts and uncles
- Any other adult, regardless of previous connections to the child
What should you do if you are looking after a child?
If you are looking after a child or young person who is under 16 years of age (or under 18 years old if they are disabled) for more than 28 days in a row, by law you need to notify the Children's Single Point of Access (C-SPA) team.
You can reach out out Private Fostering team if you have more questions on private.fostering@surreycc.gov.uk.
You must tell us about the arrangement, even if you are getting paid to look after the child
If you are a parent making private fostering arrangements for your child, you need to let C-SPA know in writing at least six weeks before the arrangement begins. If the arrangement is due to start in less than six weeks or the child is already living with the carer you need to let C-SPA know immediately.
Why do you have to tell us?
The law says we must make sure that all privately fostered children in Surrey are safe and well in the home they are living in, if not with parents or close relatives.
We will offer support and guidance to private foster carers and make sure the child or young person's views and wishes are considered.
What happens next?
We will visit both you and the child or young person at your home within seven working days and explain our role in more detail.
Usually, we will carry out a short assessment of the child's needs and the suitability of the care arrangement. This will include completing Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on all adults living in the carer's home.
We also offer ongoing support, advice, and guidance to the private foster carer, including access to the same training provided to foster carers.
For young people who are in a private fostering arrangement and are approaching or have reached the age of 18, an assessment can be conducted by the Leaving Care team. This assessment is to determine what additional support they might need as they transition to adulthood.
For more information and to tell us about a child or young person you are looking after please contact the Children's Single Point of Access (C-SPA) team.
Private Fostering Awareness Week
CoramBAAF is launching Private Fostering Awareness Day to highlight the needs of children in private fostering arrangements. Join us for a week of educational events designed to inform the public about private fostering.
Our rescheduled 2024 Private Fostering Awareness Week kicks off on Sunday 26 January. You can register for events on our Fostering Information Events page.
Mark your calendars for the 2025 Private Fostering Awareness Week, starting on Sunday 2 November.
Private fostering is not fostering for a private agency
If you are working with a private fostering agency and are considering changing agency, please get in touch with our Fostering Service. You can also find out more about transferring from a fostering agency.
Our Recruitment and Assessment Team will contact you to talk through our simple transfer process. We will consider your transfer whether you currently have a foster child living with you or not.
- Telephone: 0300 131 2797
- Email: fostering.recruitment@surreycc.gov.uk