Unofficially fostered children 'at risk'

A "CONCERNING" number of children are being cared for unofficially by people who are not close relatives, says a charity.

Figures from the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) show more than one in ten youngsters in England and Wales could have been privately fostered.

Of those, nearly half (46 per cent) were anxious about the arrangement and 42 per cent said no-one outside their family knew what had happened.

BAAF chief executive David Holmes said: "The possible extent of private fostering as revealed by this survey is concerning, but it is encouraging that so many people seem to be telling someone about their arrangements."

He added that "invisible children" being privately fostered without the authorities knowing could be at risk of mistreatment.