Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

53 Fostering

(1) Despite section 58, this Act applies to activity that is regulated activity by virtue of paragraph 1(5) of Schedule 4.

(2) Subsection (1) does not affect the operation of this Act in relation to any other activity that is carried out in connection with a foster child.

(3) Subsection (4) applies if a person (P)—

(a) makes arrangements for another person to foster a child as a private foster parent, and

(b) has power to terminate the arrangements.

(4) P is, if he would not otherwise be, a regulated activity provider in relation to fostering carried out by the foster parent in pursuance of the arrangements.

(5) The following provisions of this section apply for the purposes of this Act.

(6) A person fosters a child if he is a foster parent of the child.

(7) A person is a foster parent if—

(a) he is a local authority foster parent within the meaning of section 23(3) of the Children Act 1989 (c. 41);

(b) he is a person with whom a child has been placed by a voluntary organisation under section 59(1)(a) of that Act;

(c) he is a private foster parent.

(8) A person is a private foster parent if he falls within subsection (9) and looks after a child—

(a) for reward, or

(b) in pursuance of an arrangement made by someone other than a member of the child’s family.

(9) A person falls within this subsection if—

(a) he fosters the child privately within the meaning of section 66(1) of the Children Act 1989,

(b) he would be so fostering the child but for subsection (2) of that section (minimum period of 28 days), or

(c) (in the case of a child who has attained the age of 16) he would fall within paragraph (a) or (b) if the child were under the age of 16.

(10) A person’s family includes—

(a) the person’s foster child;

(b) the foster child of any member of the person’s family;

and references to a family relationship and family member are to be construed accordingly.