What is a voluntary foster care placement?

The key feature of a voluntary foster care placement is that the child is accommodated with the agreement of a parent or another person who has parental responsibility, without the local authority first obtaining a care order. This is commonly associated with accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989. The arrangement still involves formal safeguarding, planning and review; it is not an informal agreement between a family and foster carers.

What happens before the placement?

The local authority considers the child’s circumstances, immediate needs, risks, family relationships, education and health before deciding whether foster care is appropriate. It will seek the necessary agreement and explain what accommodation means, including the proposed care arrangements, contact with family members and plans for the child’s future. The child’s views should also be considered in a way that reflects their age and understanding.

Foster carers are given information needed to care for the child safely. This may include details about their routines, medical needs, education, behaviour, relationships, cultural or religious identity, and any known safeguarding concerns. Some information may be shared gradually where doing so protects the child’s privacy or safety, but carers should have enough practical information to meet the placement’s needs.

Who makes decisions?

A parent with parental responsibility normally continues to hold that responsibility during a voluntary placement. The local authority is responsible for the child’s accommodation and care planning, while foster carers manage the child’s day-to-day care within the authority given to them. Important decisions, such as those relating to medical treatment, education, travel or changes to contact, may require agreement from the person with parental responsibility, the local authority or both, depending on the circumstances.

The precise division of responsibility should be explained in the placement plan. Foster carers should not be expected to guess who can authorise a decision. They can ask the supervising social worker or the child’s social worker for clarification whenever an issue falls outside normal daily care.

How is the arrangement reviewed?

Every looked-after child should have a care plan setting out their needs, the services required and the intended outcome of the placement. Reviews consider whether the arrangement remains safe and suitable, whether the child’s needs are being met, how family contact is working, and whether the plan should change. Foster carers contribute observations about the child’s progress, presentation, relationships, health, education and behaviour.

The plan may be to return the child to their parent when it is safe and suitable, although other options can be considered if returning home is not possible or is not in the child’s best interests. These might include living with a relative, another form of permanence or a court-led arrangement. A voluntary placement does not automatically determine the child’s long-term future.

Can a parent end a voluntary placement?

A parent’s agreement is central to this type of placement, so a parent may seek to withdraw their consent. This does not mean the child must move immediately without assessment. The local authority must consider the child’s safety and welfare, discuss the proposed change with those involved and decide whether a safe return is possible. If there are serious concerns, it may need to seek a court order or take other safeguarding action.

Foster carers should refer any indication that a parent wants the child to return, or any significant disagreement about the arrangement, to the child’s social worker and their supervising social worker. They should not make independent promises about when or how a child will move.

How does family contact work?

Contact with parents, siblings and other important people is considered as part of the care plan. It may take place in person, by telephone or through another agreed method, depending on the child’s needs and any safeguarding restrictions. The frequency, location and supervision arrangements should be clear to the foster carers and reviewed if the child’s circumstances change.

Foster carers are expected to support agreed contact and help the child maintain appropriate relationships, while also reporting relevant concerns. Contact should not be used to pass messages about adult disputes or to place the child in the middle of decisions about their care.

What does this mean for foster carers?

Although the placement is agreed voluntarily, foster carers still need to follow the local authority’s safeguarding procedures, placement plan and delegated-authority arrangements. They provide everyday care, keep appropriate records, attend meetings and share information about the child’s wellbeing. They may also help the child attend school, healthcare appointments and activities, and maintain safe links with family.

Foster carers receive supervision, training and ongoing support from their fostering service. They should be given a clear plan for managing behaviour, health needs, contact and emergencies relevant to the individual child. An allowance is normally provided for an approved foster placement, with the amount and payment arrangements set by the fostering service and subject to its current scheme.

How is it different from a care order?

With a care order, the court gives the local authority parental responsibility, which it shares with the child’s parents. A voluntary placement does not itself give the local authority parental responsibility. The legal basis, decision-making arrangements and potential route to permanence are therefore different, even though both types of arrangement require safeguarding, care planning and review.

Anyone considering fostering can ask the fostering service to explain how voluntary placements are managed in practice, what information will be provided before a child arrives and what support is available when plans change. Understanding the legal basis of the placement helps foster carers work constructively with the child, their family and the professionals responsible for the care plan.