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Looking after someone else's child

You can get support or financial help if someone else’s child is living with you most of the time.

Your arrangement may be known as either:

  • kinship care (sometimes called ‘family and friends care’)

  • private fostering

Check what services and financial support your local council provides. They must provide information on the support they offer to kinship carers and private fosterers.

Kinship care

You’re known as a kinship carer if you’re a close relative or family friend looking after a child more than their parents.

Private fostering

You’re a private foster carer if both the following apply:

  • you’re not a close relative - a grandparent, brother or sister, uncle or aunt or step-parent
  • you’re looking after a child who’s under 16 (under 18 if they’re disabled) for more than 28 days in a row

You must tell your local council about this arrangement.

What to expect if you’re a private foster carer

A social worker will visit you and the child to make sure the child is safe and being properly cared for.

The social worker will do background checks on you. They can also offer help and support.

If you’re a parent and you’ve arranged for someone who is not a close relative to look after your child, you must tell your local council.

Child Benefit

You can apply for Child Benefit and other benefits that parents get.

Children with disabilities, learning and behavioural problems

You can get help if you’re looking after a disabled child.

You can get extra help at school for a child with special educational needs (SEN).

Your local council can help you find support for a child with emotional problems.

Get parental responsibility for the child

If you want to care for a child long term, you can get parental responsibility for the child by applying for a child arrangements order or special guardianship order.

You may also be able to adopt the child.

Having parental responsibility means you can:

  • get unpaid parental leave
  • choose the child’s school
  • agree to the child’s medical treatment
  • look after the child’s finances and property
  • apply for a passport for the child
  • stop the child being taken abroad without your permission

Support and advice

You can get free support and advice from:

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