Caring for a child you already know
Information about family and friends foster care, special guardianship orders and private fostering.
Family and friends fostering (kinship care)
When a child who is looked after by the council, lives with a relative or friend instead of being placed with foster carers or in residential accommodation.
Private fostering
Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a close relative.
Special guardianship orders
A special guardianship order is a legal way of providing long-term stability for a child who cannot return to live with their birth parents and for whom adoption is not appropriate.