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Our advice service

Are you a parent, kinship carer relative or friend of a child who is involved with, or who needs the help of, children’s services in England? We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.

Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.

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By phone or email

To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

Discuss on our forums

Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.

Advice on our website

Our get help and advice section has template letters, advice sheets and resources about legal and social care processes. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, you can use our webchat service to chat online to an adviser.

 

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Private family arrangement

A private family arrangement is a type of kinship care. Kinship care is any situation in which a child is being raised in the care of a friend or family member who is not their parent. The arrangement may be temporary or longer term.

A private family arrangement is where a child is cared for by a close relative and:

  • The relative caring for the child does not have parental responsibility
  • Children’s services have not had a major role in making the arrangement and
  • The Family Court has not made an order about the care of the child.

In this situation a close relative means any of the following: grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or stepparent (a married stepparent includes a civil partner).

Private family arrangements are sometimes referred to as just “private arrangements. Or as a type of ‘informal kinship care’ arrangement.

A private family arrangement is different from private fostering arrangement. In a private fostering arrangement, the carer may be a relative, but they are not a close relative. Or they may be a family friend for example. To find out more about private family arrangements see our private arrangements and private fostering page.

Important: If children’s services have had a major role in making the arrangements for the child, this will not be a private family arrangement. It will be kinship foster care. This means children’s services will have a legal duty to provide certain practical and financial help for the child and carer. This includes paying a fostering allowance.

To find out more about kinship care and the different types of kinship care arrangements please see our kinship care page.

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