Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse
Private Fostering
Do you know a child being looked after by someone who is not a close relative?
If you do this is known as private fostering. Private fostering is defined as:
“when a child or young person under 16 years old (or 18 if they have a disability) is looked after by someone who is not a parent, close relative, guardian or person with parental responsibility for 28 days or more without the involvement of Rotherham Borough Council.”
Close relatives are defined as:
Brothers and sisters
Aunts and uncles
Grandparents
Step-parents
An arrangement is likely to be private fostering if the child lives with:
Cousin
Friend
Neighbour
Host family
Great aunt/uncle
Great grandparent
A divorced step-parent
Independent boarding school (if the child remains for more than two weeks during the holidays)
Cultural use of aunt or uncle who are no blood relation
If you know of a child who is in a private fostering arrangement you have a legal responsibility to tell Rotherham Council. Please call the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 01709 336080 to discuss it.