Are you looking after someone else's child?

Plymouth City Council is asking people to help them ensure the safety and well-being of children who are being cared for by someone who is not a direct relative.

If you or someone you know is looking after somebody else’s child this could be a private fostering arrangement and the Council need to know.

Private fostering is when a child under 16 (under 18 if they have a disability) lives with someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more throughout the year.

Although this is done by private arrangement, legally the parent and the carer must notify the local authority where the child is going to live so that the local authority can ensure that the child is being properly looked after.

Plymouth City Council is currently aware of 71 privately fostered children in the city, but experts believe there are many more that are not known about. The Council is particularly asking people who work with children to be aware of private fostering and notify them immediately if they suspect such an arrangement.

There can be many reasons why a child does not live at home and their parent has arranged for someone else to care for them.

Parents in the armed forces, who ask friends or relatives to care for their child whilst on deployment, people who house foreign students studying at a language school or children who have become estranged from their parents and stay with friends, are all in private fostering arrangements.

Councillor Sue McDonald, Cabinet Member for Children Young people and Public Health said: “We need to make sure that all children and young people are safe and supported, so it’s important that we know about private fostering arrangements.

“Thousands of children in the UK are looked after in this way. However, it is feared that some may not have been notified to their local authority and may be at risk of abuse, or even victims of trafficking.

“Everybody has a role in keeping our children safe – whether you are a teacher, youth worker, neighbour or chat to the other parents at the school gate. If you are caring for a child or young person who is not an immediate relative, and you expect them to be staying for more than 28 days, please get in touch.”

For more information about private fostering please visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/privatefostering or call Plymouth City Council on 01752 308760.