SOCIAL services bosses fear Doncaster residents may be breaking laws on child care by not telling them about so-called private fostering.
Doncaster Council is launching an awareness campaign because it fears some families make their own short term child care arrangements with friends without letting the authority know. The practice, known as private fostering, means a child under 16 li
ves with someone other than their parent or close relative for more than 28 days. There is a legal duty to report the arrangement.
The council believes many residents could be involved in private fostering arrangements without even realising it. Now the council is using posters and a touring community roadshow to raise the profile of such arrangements and make sure people are aware of responsibilities.
Councillor Patrick Wilson, the authority's cabinet member for children and young people said: "It is understandable people may not be aware of the need to get Doncaster Council involved in these arrangements, which is why we are working to raise awareness. Not only is it important to notify us so we can ensure young people in these arrangements are suitably safeguarded, but so we can offer advice to parents and private foster carers."
READ MOREMain news indexYour letters.
FeaturesMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport.The full article contains 242 words and appears in Doncaster Star newspaper.
