WHEN I was a child my parents sent me to live with strangers. Such arrangements are known as private fostering, and while one of my carers was good, the other was not.
I was surprised to discover that these types of arrangements still go on. In fact according to a recent survey commissioned by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, as many as one in 10 18-24-year-olds may have been privately fostered at some point in their lives.
If you are caring for someone else’s child for more than 28 days then you must notify your local council. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.
The council can give you helpful advice, but most importantly, we can ensure children are safe. For details of your local private fostering team visit www.somebodyelseschild.org.uk Kriss Akabusi, c/o British Association for Adoption & Fostering, 6-10 Kirby Street, London, EC1N 8TS.
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