Swansea Council is undertaking a campaign to help raise awareness of private fostering to ensure children across the city and county are safeguarded and supported.
The move is part of Private Fostering Week (March 21 to March 27, 2011).
Swansea Council wants to help raise awareness of private fostering to ensure that children are safeguarded and supported.
Many people don’t realise that in certain situations when a child or young person is living with someone who is not a close relative for over 28 days, it is a private fostering arrangement.
Examples might be:
- A child who lives with a friend’s parents because their own parents have moved away from the area to work or to visit extended family overseas.
- A child who lives with their great aunt because of parental divorce, separation or other issues at home.
- A child from overseas who has been sent to live with their father’s cousin in the UK for educational reasons.
Both the parent and the person caring for this child or young person have a responsibility by law to let the Local Authority know.
Whenever possible this should be done six weeks before the arrangement starts, but if it’s an emergency they need to tell the council as soon as they can.
And in some situations there could be extra support available.
To talk to someone about your private fostering arrangement by calling 01792 635700 or email [email protected].
To make sure that children who are privately fostered are safe and well, the law requires Social Services to do certain things.
These include visiting where the child is living, checking the arrangements are suitable and considering whether we can give any additional information or support to meet the child’s needs.
Private Fostering Week has provided an opportunity to kick-start a new campaign to raise awareness of private fostering in Swansea.
Over the coming year the Council plans to provide information to members of the public, people who work in community organisations, schools and the health services.
It is important that professionals like these who may become aware of private fostering arrangements can advise families what they must do.
More information about private fostering is available on the website www.swansea.gov.uk/privatefostering. It includes details of what is meant by a close relative, and more about what will happen once Social Services becomes involved.
You can also get a copy of this information, or talk to someone about your private fostering arrangement by calling 01792 635700 or emailing [email protected].
Professionals who would like further guidance can find this on the website www.privatefostering.org.uk/profs
