1. What is foster care

• Public fostering
• Private fostering

‘Fostering’ is where a child or young person is being cared for in a family home with carers who do not have parental responsibility for them. There are two different types of fostering:

•public fostering; and
•private fostering.

The difference depends on who makes the arrangement for the child to live with foster carers.

Public fostering

Public fostering is where the local authority arranges for the child to live with a foster carer(s). This may be done through the local authority’s own fostering service or through an arrangement with a voluntary organisation – eg, Barnardo’s or Action for Children. This type of fostering is governed by the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009. Public foster carers are approved by the local authority.1Reg 2 LAC(S) Regs

A child who is in public foster care is looked after by the local authority. The information in this chapter is aimed at public fostering arrangements and the term ‘foster carers’ is used to mean public foster carers.

Foster carers are usually paid a fostering allowance and also a fee. The rates for fostering allowances or fees vary depending on the local authority or fostering agency, although there is a national minimum fostering allowance (called the Scottish Recommended Allowance) so the allowance should be at least that amount. The current weekly rates per child are as follows:2mygov.scot/foster-care/financial-support

•0–4 year olds: £171.17;
•5–15 year olds: £199.14;
•16 year olds and above: £272.97.

 

1     Reg 2 LAC(S) Regs »

2     mygov.scot/foster-care/financial-support »

Private fostering

Private fostering is where a parent (or person with parental responsibility) arranges for the child to live with another person for 28 days or more, and the other person is not a relative. ‘Relative’ means grandparent, brother, sister (or half-brother or half-sister), aunt or uncle (including by marriage).1s21 Foster Children (Scotland) Act 1984 This type of fostering is governed by the Foster Children (Scotland) Act 1984 and the Foster Children (Private Fostering) (Scotland) Regulations 1985.

The information in this chapter does not apply to private fostering arrangements. If you are a foster carer in a private fostering arrangement, or if your child lives with a private foster carer, there are no special benefit rules. This means that if you satisfy the conditions of entitlement for a benefit (see Chapter 1), you are able to claim. See here, and here for more information on the priority between potential claimants.

 

1     s21 Foster Children (Scotland) Act 1984 »