Fostering and adoption
Hackney and City health visitors provide support for children in families who are currently being fostered or have been adopted. We can also support children who are being privately fostered. Contact us if you would like more information.
Read more about fostering, from the NSPCC .
What is fostering?
Fostering is a way of providing a family life for children who cannot live with their birth parents. Another term for children in foster care is “looked after children”.
Read more on fostering in Hackney and the City
What is adoption?
Adoption is a way of providing a new family for children who are no longer able to live with their birth families. It transfers the legal rights and parental responsibility of birth parents to adoptive parents. Adoption is about meeting the needs of the children, not meeting the needs of adults who wish to adopt
Read more on adoption in Hackney and the City
Private Fostering
Private fostering is a private arrangement between a parent and a carer. When a child under 16 (or 18 if disabled) is cared for and provided with accommodation by an adult who is not a relative, for 28 days or more, it is called private fostering.
The Council has a legal duty to ensure that children and young people in this situation are safe and properly cared for. Under the Children Act, you must tell the Council if you are entering into a private fostering arrangement. Your health visitor may ask you if you are privately fostering.