Fostering and Adoption

Cumbria Adoption provides adoption services for Cumberland Council and Westmorland & Furness Council. 

What is Step Parent Adoption? When step parents are taking day-to-day responsibility for step children, they may want to make their relationship with these children more formal. One way is through step parent adoption. This is when the resident birth parent and their partner share parental responsibility for the child. Adoption offers the child a legally permanent relationship with the adoptive parent which they will keep for all their lives.

The child must have lived with both of you for at least 6 months and while you don’t have to be married, Cumberland Council recommend that you should have been in a relationship for at least 2 years.

There is no automatic right to adoption and it is not appropriate for every child in a step family.

It is important that you read the step parent adoption Information Sheet before making a decision to proceed. 

If after reading the Information Sheet, you wish to go ahead with the process, you will need to inform Cumberland Children’s Social Care, that you want to adopt your spouse’s or partner’s child.  You must do this in writing at least 3 months before applying to a court for an adoption order. This can be done by either letter or email (contact details are in the Information Sheet).

Many professionals who work with children and young people will come across private fostering situations and it is important that these are identified. 

Private Fostering is a private arrangement made by the child’s parent (or someone with parental responsibility) and;

• the child is under the age of 16 (or 18 if the child is disabled)
• the child is living with a carer who is not a close relative (defined as: grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt or stepparent by marriage)
• the arrangement is expected to last for more than 28 days and on a full-time basis

As Private Fostering is a private arrangement it can be hidden from agencies. Privately fostered children can be vulnerable as they may not see their families very often. It is therefore important that their needs are assessed and their situation monitored to safeguard their wellbeing. 

By law, the Council must be informed about any Private Fostering arrangement to ensure safeguards are in place for the child and advice and support can be provided to the carer.

Many professionals who work with children and young people will come across Private Fostering situations and it is important that these are identified. Private foster carers and the parents of privately fostered children have a legal duty to notify Cumberland Council about these arrangements, but this duty is not widely known, and so they are rarely reported.

It is vital that Cumberland Children's Services are made aware of such arrangements so that they can safeguard the welfare of these potentially vulnerable children. Teachers, health and other professionals should notify Cumberland Council of a Private Fostering arrangement that comes to their attention, where they are not satisfied that the arrangement has been or will be notified.

How to notify Children's Services of a Private Fostering arrangement

To notify Children's Services of a private fostering arrangement, please contact:

• Cumberland Safeguarding Hub on 0333 240 1727

Professionals working with children should refer to the Cumberland Safeguarding Children Partnership procedure for Children Living Away from Home with Other Families   

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