Family and Friends (Connected Persons) Fostering Explained

If a child can’t live at home safely, the first question most social workers ask is simple: is there someone the child already knows and trusts who could care for them? That’s where family and friends (also called connected persons) fostering comes in. It allows a child to live with a relative, family friend, or another adult already connected to them while the local authority completes the full fostering assessment.

Below is a clear, practical guide to how connected persons fostering works in England—who qualifies, how the assessment unfolds, what support and payments look like, and how these arrangements can lead to longer-term permanence.

What does “connected persons” fostering mean?

In law, a connected person is a relative, friend, or other person known to the child who is assessed and approved by the local authority to care for that child as a foster carer. Because the child already has a relationship with the carer, these placements can feel less disruptive and often support better stability and identity for the child.

In urgent situations, the local authority can place a child with a connected person on a temporary approval while a full fostering assessment is completed. The usual limit is up to 16 weeks, with a possible one-off extension of up to 8 weeks (or until an Independent Review Mechanism decision if used), giving a maximum window to complete the assessment and present to fostering panel.

Who can be considered a connected person?

Relatives (grandparents, adult siblings, aunts/uncles, cousins), family friends, or other adults the child already knows may be considered, provided safeguarding checks are satisfied and the person is able to meet the child’s day-to-day needs. What matters most is the existing connection and the carer’s ability to provide safe, nurturing care.

Tip: If you think you could be a connected person for a child you know, contact the child’s social worker as soon as possible so the local authority can explore you as an option quickly.

Immediate placement: how the temporary approval works

When a placement needs to happen quickly—often the same day—the social worker completes a brief viability assessment (including checks and a home visit) and seeks a management decision to place the child with you on a temporary basis under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010, Regulation 24. During this immediate phase, you are treated as a foster carer for the specific child and will be allocated a supervising social worker. Temporary approval lasts up to 16 weeks, and can be extended once for up to 8 weeks if essential to finish the full assessment.

The full assessment you’ll go through

Once the child moves in, the fostering service starts a full connected persons assessment (often referred to as Form C, based on CoramBAAF materials). Expect the process to cover:

H3 — Your household and support network

Assessors will speak with you, anyone who lives with you, and sometimes key supporters. They’ll explore your relationships, resilience, health, and how you’ll keep the child safe (including pets and any risks in or near the home).

H3 — Background checks and references

This includes DBS checks, personal references, previous partners (where appropriate), medical reports from your GP, financial stability, and accommodation standards.

H3 — Parenting capacity and the child’s needs

You’ll talk through routines, education, contact with birth family, cultural and religious needs, and how you’ll promote the child’s identity, health, and schooling.

H3 — Training and support

Even as a connected carer you’ll be offered training (e.g., Skills to Foster), a supervising social worker, and access to support groups. If the assessment goes well, a fostering panel reviews the report and recommends whether you should be fully approved as a foster carer for this specific child (or sibling group).

How long does this take? Local practice varies, but the target is to complete and present to panel within the temporary approval window (16 weeks, extendable once up to 8 weeks).

Visits, reviews and what to expect day-to-day

During the first weeks, the child’s social worker will visit weekly and you’ll attend the child’s Looked After Review (chaired by the Independent Reviewing Officer). Your supervising social worker will also visit and help with paperwork, training, and practical issues like contact arrangements. Local policies typically spell out the visiting pattern, review schedule, and documentation you’ll complete.

Financial support: allowances and expenses

If a child is placed with you under Regulation 24, you should ordinarily receive the standard fostering allowance for that child’s age from the date of placement, plus agreed expenses (e.g., mileage for school runs or contact). Some authorities also pay additional skill-based fees once you are fully approved, but the basics—weekly allowance and essential costs—apply during temporary approval. Check your local policy for rates, any top-ups, and what’s claimable.

Note: Allowance rates vary across the UK and can differ by region and agency; always confirm the current local rate table.

How connected persons fostering differs from private fostering

People sometimes confuse connected persons fostering with private fostering. They are different legal routes:

• Connected persons fostering: The local authority places the child with you and temporarily approves you as a foster carer (leading to full approval if successful). You are supervised and paid the fostering allowance.
• Private fostering: A parent arranges for their child to live with an adult who is not a close relative for 28 days or more; the local authority must be notified and will assess the arrangement’s suitability, but the adult is not an approved foster carer and fostering allowances do not apply.

If you’re unsure which route applies to your situation, ask children’s services to advise and record the correct legal framework.

What if the assessment can’t be finished in time?

If the full assessment won’t be ready by week 16, the local authority can, in exceptional circumstances, extend the temporary approval once for up to 8 weeks, particularly if all parties are progressing the work but need more time for checks, references, or panel scheduling. Where the assessment outcome is negative and you seek a review, the arrangement may continue until the Independent Review Mechanism outcome is received, depending on local policy and risk assessment.

Pathways after temporary approval

Connected persons fostering can be a bridge to several longer-term options:

H3 — Full fostering approval (specific child)

You’re approved to continue caring for the child as their foster carer, with ongoing support, training, payments and annual reviews.

H3 — Special Guardianship Order (SGO)

Some families move from fostering to SGO, which gives you parental responsibility and often fits when the plan is long-term family care without adoption. SGOs may include means-tested financial support, and you’ll work with the social worker to prepare for court. (Ask for independent advice if you’re weighing permanency options.)

H3 — Returning home or reunification

If the care plan changes and the risks reduce, children can return to parents with a gradual transition and support package.

In all cases, your assessment and the child’s plan are reviewed at the Looked After Reviews, and decisions are made by the court where proceedings are underway.

Common questions from prospective connected carers

H3 — Do I need a spare bedroom?

Generally yes, especially for children over a certain age and for most unrelated children. Sibling sharing can sometimes be agreed. If space is tight, talk to the social worker early about what’s acceptable locally within a safer caring plan.

H3 — Can I still work?

Many connected carers do work. The key is whether your hours, flexibility, and support network allow you to meet the child’s needs (school runs, contact, appointments). Discuss this in the assessment.

H3 — What about training and support?

You’ll be offered core training (e.g., Skills to Foster), access to support groups, and a supervising social worker. If the child has additional needs (trauma, SEN, or health), ask about specialist training and practical help (e.g., transport to contact, respite).

H3 — What if an allegation is made?

All foster carers—including connected carers—are supported through a clear process involving the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and your supervising social worker. Keep a daily log, follow your safer caring plan, and seek advice promptly.

Paperwork you’ll hear about

• Form C (Connected Persons Assessment): the structured report completed for panel (widely based on CoramBAAF templates).
• Placement Plan: sets out contact, health, education, delegated authority, and daily arrangements.
• Safer Caring Policy: your household’s rules about supervision, visitors, digital safety, and managing risks.
• Review minutes: notes of the child’s Looked After Reviews, where decisions and actions are recorded.

Standards, practice updates and training

Local authorities follow the Fostering Services (England) Regulations and National Minimum Standards. Practice tools evolve: for example, newer kinship assessment approaches have been rolling out nationally to improve consistency and focus on strengths, needs and support planning for family networks. If you’re being assessed in 2025, ask your social worker which current assessment framework they use and what training is available specifically for kinship/connected carers.

Pros and challenges of connected persons fostering

H3 — Why it can be brilliant for children

• Continuity: familiar faces, schools, communities.
• Identity: cultural, linguistic, and family connections are easier to sustain.
• Stability: relationships that pre-date care can reduce placement breakdown.

H3 — What carers tell us they need

• Timely allowance payments, clear contact plans, and practical help with transport.
• Straightforward training tailored to family carers (not just mainstream fostering).
• Respite and peer support to prevent burnout.

Step-by-step: how to get started as a connected carer

1. Tell the social worker you are willing to care for the child.
2. Arrange a viability visit—be open about your home, work, support network, and health.
3. If the child moves to you under temporary approval, expect:
   • Immediate checks and a short written agreement.
   • Weekly social work visits at the start and a first review within 20 working days.
   • A supervising social worker to guide you through Form C and training.
4. Complete the full assessment, attend training, and prepare for fostering panel.
5. Agree the long-term plan (full approval, SGO, or other route) with the child’s team.

Final word

Connected persons fostering exists because children do better when they can stay within their own families and networks whenever it’s safe. The legal route gives the local authority a way to move quickly in a crisis, pay you an allowance, and wrap assessment and support around you—without uprooting the child to strangers. If you’re considering this path, reach out early, ask for the assessment timeline, and make sure you understand the support, training and financial package on offer. It’s demanding work—but for many families, it keeps children exactly where they belong: with people who already care about them.

Sources & further reading

• Regulation 24 practice: temporary approval up to 16 weeks with a single extension of up to 8 weeks; local procedures and assessment pathway.
• Local authority guidance on weekly visits, starting allowance payments and Form C assessment.
• Private fostering definition and notification (28-day rule; not approved fostering).
• Form C / Connected Persons assessment materials and training (CoramBAAF).
• Standards framework for fostering and kinship practice.