How does each fostering approach handle contact with birth families?

The fostering approach mainly affects who coordinates and supports contact; it does not set a separate contact rule. The child’s care plan, the placing local authority and any court direction determine what contact should take place, with the child’s welfare and wishes considered according to their age and understanding.

Contact may involve face-to-face visits, telephone calls, video calls, letters, messages or communication through a trusted intermediary. The plan should explain who the child can see or speak to, how often contact is expected, where it takes place, who supervises it and what arrangements apply if a visit needs to change.

Voluntary foster care

In voluntary foster care, the local authority normally has a direct role in arranging and reviewing contact. The child’s social worker will usually liaise with birth parents, the foster carer and other professionals to put the agreed plan into practice. Local authority staff may arrange a venue, supervision or transport where these are part of the plan.

Foster carers are expected to support the child’s relationship with their birth family while maintaining the agreed boundaries. They may receive practical information about preparing the child for a visit, managing communication and recording what happened afterwards. Any change to the arrangement should be discussed with the child’s social worker rather than agreed informally between adults.

Independent fostering

With an independent fostering agency, the agency’s supervising social worker supports the foster carer, while the placing local authority remains responsible for the child’s care plan and statutory decisions. This means the agency can help the carer understand the contact arrangements, prepare for visits and share concerns, but it cannot independently replace the authority’s decision-making role.

The agency may work with the local authority and birth family on practical matters such as communication, handovers, supervision and reviewing how contact is affecting the child. The foster carer should know whom to contact if a visit does not go ahead, the child becomes distressed or a birth family member asks for an arrangement outside the agreed plan.

Whole family fostering

Whole family fostering places particular emphasis on understanding and supporting the child’s wider family relationships. Depending on the placement plan, this may mean considering contact with parents, siblings, grandparents or other significant people as part of a broader family network. It does not mean that every relative has an automatic right to contact, or that existing arrangements can be changed without approval.

Professionals may look more closely at how different family relationships affect the child and whether contact can be used constructively. The plan may need to distinguish between contact that supports the child and contact that causes pressure, confusion or risk. Foster carers may be given guidance on maintaining appropriate boundaries while helping the child retain important family connections.

How contact arrangements are decided

• The child’s social worker assesses the child’s needs, relationships, wishes and any known risks.
• The care plan records the agreed arrangements and the reasons for them.
• A court order may set requirements that everyone involved must follow.
• The foster carer is told what their responsibilities are, including any supervision, transport, recording or communication duties.
• Reviews consider whether contact remains suitable as the child’s circumstances change.

Contact can be supervised, supported or unsupervised. Supervised contact takes place with an agreed adult present throughout. Supported contact may involve help at the venue without continuous observation. Unsupervised contact gives the family more independence but still operates within the boundaries set by the care plan. In some circumstances, indirect contact is more appropriate, particularly where direct meetings are not currently safe or suitable.

Foster carers should not promise extra visits, share private information or give out their home address unless this has been specifically agreed. They should also avoid using personal social media or private messaging channels for contact unless professionals have authorised the arrangement and explained how information will be protected.

If a birth family member does not attend, behaves in a way that worries the child, appears under the influence of substances, asks the child to keep secrets or attempts to alter the arrangement, the foster carer should follow the reporting procedure provided by the responsible professionals. The concern should be recorded factually, including what was said or observed and how the child responded.

Contact arrangements can be reviewed when a child’s needs, placement, legal circumstances or family relationships change. A foster carer can contribute observations and raise concerns, but should not stop or change contact independently unless there is an immediate safeguarding concern and the relevant emergency procedure requires action. The child’s social worker and the fostering team can explain the correct process for the particular placement.