Fostering and Kinship Solicitors
We can advise you in relation to the legal framework and potential problems you may encounter as a foster carer, starting from the process of assessment and approval to what to do when you have not been recommended as a foster carer or have been told that you will be deregistered.
To speak to a Fostering and Kinship solicitor for expert advice you can trust, please call Goodman Ray Solicitors on 020 7608 1227 or contact us online and we will call you.
If you are or plan to look after a child who is not your own, there are different legal ways of making these arrangements. You may already be looking after children for a Local Authority as a foster parent, or you may be considering becoming a foster carer and are not sure about the process.
A foster parent will never have parental rights for the children they look after. We can advise you in relation to the legal framework and potential problems you may encounter as a foster carer, starting from the process of assessment and approval to what to do when you have not been recommended as a foster carer or have been told that you will be deregistered. We can also guide and help you in the event that a Local Authority seeks to remove or already has removed a foster child from your care; or if you are considering adopting or applying for a Special Guardianship Order for a child you foster.
If you are looking after a relative child or the child of a friend on behalf of a Local Authority you should be getting support for the placement. We can advise you in relation to what support would be appropriate and what you are entitled to. We can also advise you if there is disagreement as to whether the placement is a private fostering arrangement or one in which the Local Authority was involved.
As a foster or kinship carer, you may also be asked to have a Special Guardianship Order for the child you are looking after. These orders will give you parental responsibility for the child which is shared with the parents. We can advise you what type of order may be the most appropriate for your circumstances and about the support you may be entitled to, and guide you through the process of obtaining the order.