Luton Borough Council

07/08/2025 - Looking after (living with) somebody else’s child? This might be a private fostering arrangement, and support is available

Luton Council has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of private fostering and to demystify what private fostering actually means.

Private fostering is a private arrangement made between a parent and a responsible adult for the care of a child under the age of 16 (under 18 if disabled). The person who will be looking after the child is not a parent or close relative of the child, and the arrangement is planned to last for at least 28 days. A close relative is a grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling or step parent.

We are aware of very few private fostering arrangements in Luton – but we know that there are more. Luton has one of the youngest populations in the country and the council has a commitment to making Luton a child-friendly town where our children and young people grow up feeling happy, healthy and secure, with a voice that matters and the opportunities they need to thrive. Part of this commitment is ensuring that children are safe and supported.

Private fostering can be a confusing term because it is not connected to traditional fostering. Traditional fostering is when a child is looked after, and council social workers find a safe home for the child with an approved foster carer. Private fostering is when parents, rather than social workers, make the arrangement and the person caring for the child is not an approved foster carer. Private foster carers have a significant responsibility for the child’s welfare during their time in their care but do not hold parental responsibility.

When private fostering arrangements are made, the adults involved are legally required to let the council know so that they can ensure the child is safeguarded and the carer is supported. This does not mean that the child will be removed from the situation and the council want to work with families to ensure such arrangements meet everybody’s needs. The council wants to reassure the public that this is not something to be worried about, we are here to help and support.

When informing the council, it’s important to remember that you won’t be in trouble. Our Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) will help you determine if the arrangement is considered private fostering, and what the next steps will be. This could include us getting to know you and the child and offering training and advice to support the arrangement.

If you’re not sure if an arrangement is private fostering, we encourage you to contact our MASH team anyway.

We know that some people may still not be sure about letting us know and are encouraging everyone to look out for potential private fostering situations. There are signs and examples that you can look out for, which might indicate a private fostering arrangement being in place:

an adult mentions that they are caring for a child who is not their immediate relative
an adult is seen with a child who has not been seen before
an adult attends regularly with different children referred to as their ‘niece’ or ‘nephew’, or the child refers to them as ‘Aunt’ or ‘Uncle’
a child mentions that the person they are with is not their parent
a child says there is another child staying at home with them
a child attends an independent boarding school and does not return home for the holidays
teenagers who, possibly having broken ties with their parents, are staying in arrangements with friends or other non-relatives
a child is a language student and living with a host family
a child, pursuing a sports career, stays with a host family; for example, children who are on trial with a local football club
children brought into the UK for the purposes of adoption
children whose parents are working away, either in the UK or abroad

Councillor Umme Ali, portfolio holder for children’s social care at Luton Council, said: “We want to make sure that every single child in Luton is protected and safeguarded by the adults they are living with. By being aware of private fostering arrangements, our teams can ensure that the child or children involved are in a safe, nurturing environment where they can thrive.

“It is our responsibility to look out for the children and young people of Luton, but we can’t do this alone. Please keep an eye out for private fostering arrangements, especially if you’re in a profession where you work with children regularly, such as a teacher, a GP or other health and social care professions.”

To find out more about private fostering, visit luton.gov.uk/privatefostering. Alternatively, you can contact the MASH team directly via telephone on 01582 547653, or via email at [email protected]. If you think a child or young person is in danger, please call 999.