
Thinking of becoming a Private fostering parent for our overseas students ?
- What is private fostering?
Private fostering is the term used to describe the situation where a child aged under 16 (or under 18 if disabled) is cared for, supplied with accommodation, by an adult who is not a relative (for example, a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt or uncle), for 28 days or more, by private arrangement between parent and carer.
Private Fostering is different from the care of children by local councils through approved foster carers. A privately fostered child is not looked after by the local council under the Children Act 1989, but local councils can provide further information about private fostering if required. Private fostering placements are normally arranged by a birth parent. Private foster carers do not hold parental responsibility.
Private fostering can involve children sent to the UK for education or health care by parents living overseas, children living with a friend’s family as a result of separation or divorce, teenagers living with the family of a boyfriend or girlfriend, or children whose parents’ lifestyle involves unsociable hours which makes it difficult for them to use ordinary day care or after school care.
SS(C)PF1
Devon’s Children’s services
PRIVATE FOSTERING
CARER NOTIFICATION
If you are intending to, or already privately fostering a child under the age 16 (under 18 if the child is disabled), you must let Devon County Council know. You should notify the council at least 6 weeks (and not more than 13 weeks) before the child or young person comes to stay with you. If the young person is already living with you, or if they arrive at short notice, you must let the council know within 48 hours.
Please complete this form.
If you have any queries please telephone 0845 6000 388
SS(C)PF2
Devon’s Children Services
PRIVATE FOSTERING
PARENT or THIRD PARTY NOTIFICATION
If you are the parent of a child who is privately fostered, or you are planning to let your child be privately fostered, you must let Devon County Council know. You should notify the Council at least 6 weeks (and not more than 13 weeks) before the private fostering is due to start. If it starts at very short notice or had already started, you must let the council know immediately.
If you are involved in helping to arrange private fostering for someone else’s child, you also have a duty to let the council know about the arrangement. You need to do this at least 6 weeks (and not more than 13 weeks) before the private fostering is due to start and if it starts at even short notice or has already started, you must let as know immediately.
Please complete this form.
If you have any queries please telephone 0845 6000 388
(Please note, you must complete a separate form for each child)
The Differences between Fostering and Private Fostering are:
Private Fostering has consent for the child to be placed PRIVATELY from the guardian or parents for reasons being they work away or have very demanding jobs, they want their child to become fluent in English and to adopt the british culture
but: local or private fostering is often only a temporary solution to provide children with a safe home while other arrangements are being made.
Although some young people are fostered until adulthood. Foster carer's look after the child on behalf of the local authority who work closely with the child's birth parents wherever possible.
Private Fostering for our Overseas students
What is Private Fostering?
If you are looking after somebody else,s child for more than 27 days and the child is under 16, or 18 is disabled? and the arrangement was made privately this is PRIVATE FOSTERING
The process:
Firstly you will apply to EHUK as a host, you can then fill in the PF1 form application or found in our Library, we then arrange a more in depth visit to all of your family where we can go through all the necessary paperwork. This unfortunately is a process that can't be rushed and the carers have to be explained what's involved to ensure the process is correct, but please be reassured it's not scary! We must then inform the Private Fostering Team of Devon County Council's children services before the child comes to the uk and in ours/your care, where a visit will be made just to verify all the details we have supplied to them. We will always liase with the PF Team, host & carers to ensur e the child is well matched, safe and well cared for in the arrangement.
What is our role:
We will: Make sure our carers are trustworthy, everyone in the household aged 16 and over have a valid DBS Fully Enhanced certificate.
We will: Support both parents and carers to ensure that the child,s physical, emotional, educational and cultural needs are met
We will: Help parents and carers consider finance, consents and contact needs.
We will: Contact the child and carers regularly, providing advice and support where needed.
We will: Be a listening ear for the child, parents and carers for any concerns or difficulties that may araise.
EHUK are experienced in processing all the documents required for the procedure, and our staff will offer informed guidelines to the student, parents, agent, school/college and homestay family.
Birth Parents/EHUK must:
- advise the local private fostering team for the arrangement at least six weeks in advance or, where an arrangement is made in an emergency, within 48 hours, and at the end of such an arrangement
- retain parental responsibility and participate in all decisions about their child
- provide the prospective carer, host family with as much information about the child as possible, including their health, dietary preferences, school, hobbies, religion and ethnicity
- accept responsibility for ensuring that the proposed private fostering placement is suitable for their child
Private foster carers or EHUK must:
- advise their local PFT of the intention of a foster carer becoming to foster a child at least 6 weeks beforehand or, where a child is received in an emergency, no more than 48 hours afterwards
- notify their local PFT within 48 hours when a child leaves their care, giving the name and address of the person into whose care the child has been moved
The local Private Fostering Team must:
- check the suitability of a private foster carer
- make regular visits to the child and monitor the overall standard of care provided
- ensure that advice to carers & host family is made available when needed
NOTES: Local PFTeams are not always notified about Private Fostering arrangements, despite this being an offence under the Children Act 1989.
When they are notified, it is often after the fostering has started. This is a problem as Privately Fostered children are a particularly a vulnerable group and need the safeguards provided through the Children Act and associated regulations.
It is also EHUK responsibility as an agent to notify all concerned on first acknowledgement of a child coming into the Uk under our care.