A parent and child placement is a specialist fostering arrangement where a parent (or parents) and their baby or young child(ren) can be placed together with a fostering family. This type of fostering can be enormously rewarding for foster carers. They can provide support and mentoring to new parents, or parents who may need additional support to learn new skills or get through a difficult time, as well as helping to care for the child.
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In these situations, the role of the foster carer has a different significance. The parent(s) remain responsible for parenting the child, but the foster carer's gentle, empathetic support may be needed to help the parent to learn new skills.
A pre-placement meeting should be held so both parent(s) and foster carers understand their roles and what is expected of them. Foster carers should also have access to clear policies and procedures around what is required. For example, foster carers are responsible for protecting the child and the birth parent and reporting any safeguarding concerns. They should be aware of when and how to report their concerns, and how to work within any risk assessments or safer caring plans. Equally, the parent(s) need to understand what will be monitored, and the possible timescales and outcomes of the parent and child placement.
It is possible that parent and child foster carers will need to keep additional records, and attend court to give evidence about the placement. They should receive appropriate training and support for this specialist role.
What are the different types of child and parent placement?
There are three main types of parent and child placements within fostering, and different regulations apply to each one.
- Parent Looked After, Child Looked After
This is where the parent (who is under 18) and their child are both looked after by the local authority. In these circumstances, both the parent and child will be subject to all the requirements of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.
- Parent Looked After, Child Not Looked After
This is where the parent (who is under 18) is looked after by the local authority (i.e., in a fostering arrangement) but their child is not (because they are living with their birth parent). In these circumstances, the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 would apply to both parent and child, but The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 would only apply to the parent.
- Parent Not Looked After, Child Looked After
In these circumstances, the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 and The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011 would only apply to the child. The regulations in relation to placement with parents would not apply, and the parent will be considered as part of the fostering household. If the parent is under 18, they will have been assessed but not identified as a child in need in their own right.
