What support can private foster carers receive?

Support for a private foster carer is mainly provided through the local authority responsible for the child. It is intended to help the arrangement remain safe, stable and suitable, while making sure the child’s welfare and day-to-day needs are properly considered. The exact support depends on the child’s circumstances, the length and nature of the arrangement, and the outcome of the local authority’s assessment.

Advice from the social work team

A social worker should explain the responsibilities involved in caring for the child and provide guidance about matters such as supervision, boundaries, routines and safeguarding. They may also help the carer understand the child’s history, current needs and any information that the parent or another person with parental responsibility has shared.

Practical advice can cover:

• how to respond to changes in the child’s behaviour or emotional wellbeing;
• how to keep the child safe within the home and wider community;
• who to contact if a concern arises;
• how arrangements for contact with parents and relatives should work; and
• what to do if the private fostering arrangement is no longer manageable.

The carer should ask for clarification if important information is missing, particularly about medical needs, education, allergies, communication, religion, culture or family contact.

Support with the child’s wider needs

The local authority can help identify services that may be relevant to the child. This may include health, education, early help, emotional wellbeing or specialist support. A private foster carer may need assistance understanding how to access these services or how decisions should be made when they do not hold parental responsibility.

It is important to establish who can consent to medical treatment, school activities, assessments and other significant decisions. The parent or other person with parental responsibility normally remains responsible for major decisions unless the law provides otherwise. The social worker can explain the roles of the parent, private foster carer and local authority so that uncertainty does not affect the child’s care.

Visits and continuing contact

A social worker will visit the child and speak with the child and carer as part of the local authority’s oversight. The child should have an opportunity to express their views, including privately where appropriate. Visits allow the social worker to consider whether the placement continues to meet the child’s needs, whether the child feels safe and whether any further help is needed.

The carer should use these contacts to raise practical or welfare concerns rather than waiting for difficulties to become serious. Changes such as a deterioration in the child’s health, problems at school, conflict about family contact, or a proposed change to the household should be discussed with the social worker.

Training and practical guidance

Private foster carers are not automatically given the same preparation as approved foster carers, but the local authority may identify training or guidance that is appropriate. This could relate to safeguarding, first aid, caring for a child with additional needs, managing challenging behaviour or understanding the effects of separation and loss.

Training needs should be considered alongside the child’s individual circumstances. For example, a carer may need different advice when looking after a baby, a teenager, a child with a disability or a child who has experienced disruption at home. The carer can ask the social worker what learning or practical resources are available locally.

Financial help

Private foster carers do not automatically receive a fostering allowance simply because a child is living with them. Financial assistance may sometimes be available, but this is not guaranteed and should not be assumed to operate in the same way as payments for approved foster carers. The position can depend on the child’s needs, the family’s circumstances, benefits or other relevant arrangements.

Any proposed financial support should be discussed with the local authority before relying on it. The carer should also clarify who is expected to meet everyday costs, including food, clothing, school requirements, transport and activities.

What to do if support is not enough

A private foster carer should contact the allocated social worker or the local authority’s children’s services team if the child’s needs change, the arrangement becomes difficult or there is a safeguarding concern. If the carer cannot reach the usual contact, the local authority can explain the appropriate route for raising an urgent concern.

Support should be reviewed when circumstances change. A private fostering arrangement may need a different plan if the child’s parents cannot maintain contact, the child’s behaviour changes, the carer’s household circumstances alter or the arrangement is expected to continue for longer than originally planned.

Private fostering support is therefore a continuing process rather than a single assessment. The carer remains responsible for providing day-to-day care, while the local authority monitors the arrangement, helps identify risks and works with the child, parents and carer to protect the child’s welfare.