Advice for private foster carers

Some parents arrange for their children to live with another family. Sometimes this is just for a few days, sometimes it’s for a longer time. If it is 28 days or more, it is known as private fostering and the people with whom the child lives are known as Private Foster carers. Read more about the definition of a privately fostered child.

Please tell us if you are a private foster carer

If you are acting as a private foster carer you are legally required to notify us. Registering with us also means we can provide you with valuable support and advice.

Registering as a private foster carer

To register you need to telephone the Lambeth Private Fostering Service on 020 7926 7081 or write to Lambeth Private Fostering Service, 8th Floor, International House, 6 Canterbury Crescent, Brixton, SW9 7QE.

Once you have contacted us a social worker will be able to give you advice and will arrange for someone to come and visit your home.

How we support you

The council has a duty in law to make sure that children who are privately fostered are protected. Once the council has been notified of an arrangement, we will:

• visit the home where the child lives and carry out some checks
• make regular visits to make sure that the child is safe and well cared for
• make sure that advice is available to carers
• say whether or not we find the arrangement acceptable
• register the arrangement if we find it acceptable and then to make regular visits to continue to give you advice and ensure that the child remains safe and well cared for.

Please remember – Lambeth Private Fostering Service is here to help. We don’t want to disrupt the arrangements that you have made. We just need to know about the arrangement so we can check that children are safe and being properly cared for. We also want to make sure that you are getting the help you need.

Further information

For more information or to notify us about a private fostering arrangement, please call Lambeth Private Fostering Service on 020 7926 7081.

Or write to Lambeth Private Fostering Service, 8th Floor, International House, 6 Canterbury Crescent, Brixton, SW9 7QE.

If you are concerned about a child protection or other urgent matter regarding a privately fostered child contact the Referral and Assessment Duty Team on 020 7926 7868 or write to them at 4th Floor, International House, 6 Canterbury Crescent, Brixton, SW9 7QE.