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Information, guidance and rules relating to private fostering arrangements.

If a child under 16 years (or 18 if they have a disability) stays with an adult who is not a close relative (close relative is defined as sibling, aunt, uncle, grandparent and step-parent) for 28 days or more, this is known as a private fostering arrangement and special rules apply.

There are duties to know about and report if a school believes a pupil is living in a private fostering arrangement. The school has a duty to make a referral into Children's Services, so an assessment can be carried out, to ensure the person looking after that child or young person is promoting their welfare and safety. 

For those schools who use the Integris MIS, there are fields to help capture Private Fostering Arrangements, guidance is available on S4S. Please note you must be logged into S4S to access this document.

Full guidance relating to private fostering is available on Derbyshire County Council website.

If further information is required, telephone 0800 0837744 or email privatefostering@derbyshire.gov.uk

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