Hounslow Council is using National Private Fostering week to appeal to people across the borough to get the support they need.
During the week, which runs from Monday (July 6) to Friday (July 10), if you have been looking after someone else's child under the age of 16 (or 18 if disabled) for more than 28 days then your local authority can help with private fostering arrangements.
Private foster carers are usually someone who is outside of the immediate family and may be a cousin, great aunt, a friend of the family or someone who has no relation to the family but is willing to privately foster a young person.
The situation commonly arises in circumstances where the parents of the children are going through a separation or divorce, or where young people have chosen to live away from their family, refugee children, or youngsters who attend boarding school and do not return to their parents during holidays.
To help vulnerable children in these circumstances, checks are made to ensure their safety and specialist care workers can make home visits to make sure youngsters are safe and well, as well as providing support for the person caring for them.
Councillor Tom Bruce, Hounslow Council’s cabinet member for education and children’s services, said: “As a local authority, it’s our duty to make sure that all children are being properly cared for so they get the best possible start in life.
“There are many privately fostered children who are being well looked after, but children living away from their families can also be very vulnerable.
“They may not have regular contact with their parents or feel that they have anyone else they can talk to.
"This is why we are asking people to get in touch and let us know if they are caring for someone else’s child for 28 days or more.”
Call Hounslow Council’s private fostering team on 020 8583 3426 or visit hounslow.gov.uk/privatefostering for more information.
