Making a private fostering arrangement for your child

Private fostering is an arrangement made for a child under 16 to be cared for by an adult who is not a relative (aunt, uncle, brother, sister or grandparent) for more than 27 days, whether or not a payment is involved.

This does not include children who are looked after by the local authority.

You must let us know if you are making a private fostering arrangement.

By law, we must check that children being privately fostered are well cared for, set any necessary conditions and offer advice.

We will carry out the following:

  • checks with police, GP and referees
  • check that the accommodation is safe and suitable
  • visit regularly to see the child
  • ensure that the carer receives any help they need
  • keep in touch with the parents to offer help and advice
  • keep an eye on the standard of care the child receives
  • make sure that the appropriate medical arrangements are made for protecting the health of the child

If we find that the care of your child is not satisfactory we will tell you. You will need to take action to provide other care for your child.

If the child is at risk of abuse or harm we may need to remove the child as an emergency, but we will always try to contact you first.

We can stop someone from being a foster carer if we believe it would have a negative effect on the child.

We can set certain conditions that a carer must follow. These may include:

  • the number, age and sex of the foster children
  • the accommodation and equipment to be provided
  • the medical arrangements to be made
  • how to keep records

Any person who is not happy about a condition or exemption we have made can appeal to the sheriff within 14 days of our decision.

You will still have parental responsibility for your child while they are privately fostered and should make sure that you are involved in all the major decisions concerning your child.

You should give the private foster carer information about your child, including:

  • health
  • school history
  • their interests
  • religion
  • dietary needs.

You will be responsible for providing the finance to allow the carer to look after your child.