Safeguarding & Wellbeing in the UK
Safety and trust come first
We carefully vet every host family, monitor each exchange, and guide you through the legal and safeguarding duties that apply to the UK stage of a reciprocal exchange.
How We Vet Each Family
The same rigorous process applies in all participating countries:
Family Interview
EFI team members interview each family before anything is agreed.
Home Visit
An experienced Local Representative visits each family at their home.
Preparation Meeting
Family members attend an in-person group meeting before departure.
Wellbeing Reports
Regular language and wellbeing assessments shared with the families.
24/7 Emergency Contact
A dedicated local representative in every country, available to support you.
Written Consent & Care Agreement
Clear communication of who bears which responsibilities during the exchange.
Private Fostering: The Rules
We will assist with any visa or education formalities required for your child’s stay abroad. There are, however, specific legal obligations that apply when a UK family hosts a foreign child in their home. This is generally treated as private fostering under English law, and families need to understand the legal framework before committing.
When does it apply?
Under section 66 of the Children Act 1989, private fostering occurs when a child under 16 is cared for and accommodated, for a period of 28 days or more, by someone who is not a parent, a person with parental responsibility, or a relative. “Relative” in this context means a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle, aunt or step-parent. A cousin, godparent or family friend does not qualify within this legal definition. Note that the age limit is 18 for children with disabilities.
An EFI six-month exchange therefore qualifies as private fostering, as do most three-month placements. The rules apply regardless of whether the child requires, or holds, a visa.
Note that for shorter stays, the exact dates matter. A one-month placement may or may not reach the 28-day threshold, depending on the arrival and departure dates. We will check this with you rather than rely on the stated length of the exchange.
This is an England-specific explanation
These requirements arise under the Children Act 1989, which applies in both England and Wales, although Wales has its own regulations and procedures. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate private fostering laws, with different notification routes, terminology and timescales. School attendance law also differs across the four nations. If your UK family is not based in England, tell us and we will confirm the rules that apply in your area.
What it requires
The proposed host family must notify the local authority covering the area where the child will live at least six weeks before the placement begins, or immediately if the arrangement is due to start within six weeks. The child’s parents, and anyone else involved in arranging the placement, must notify separately. Failing to notify without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence under section 70 of the Children Act 1989.
The local authority must then send an officer to visit you within seven working days. They will see the home, speak to your household, speak to the child alone unless that is inappropriate, and speak to the child’s parents. Visits continue at intervals of no more than six weeks through the first year, so expect three to four visits across a six-month placement. The authority can prohibit an arrangement (section 69), and some people are disqualified from private fostering altogether (section 68). EFI supports you through this process, but the legal duty to notify sits with your household.
What it does not mean
Private fostering does not transfer parental responsibility. The child’s parents retain this throughout, as responsibility cannot be transferred by private agreement. Under section 3(5) of the Children Act 1989 anyone caring for a child may do what is reasonable to safeguard or promote that child’s welfare, and the written care agreement records what the parents have delegated day to day.
Note that a host family cannot consent to non-emergency medical or dental treatment for a child under 16 who is not competent to consent for themselves. Agree in writing how the parents will be reached for consent at short notice, and give those details to your GP practice and the school.
If a child is on a school-sponsored (Child Student) visa
Where an incoming child is sponsored by an independent school under the Child Student route, the school, not EFI or the host family, is responsible for the Home Office documentation and reporting required by that visa route. In this situation the host family must be British citizens or settled in the UK. The application must be supported by confirmation from the local authority that it has received notification of the private fostering arrangement and has agreed to it. The private fostering notification is therefore a precondition of the visa. It has to start first, with the six-week notice period built into your timetable. These sponsorship requirements do not apply where the child enters as a visitor, but private fostering duties apply whichever route is used. This route changes often, so we confirm current requirements at matching.
The reciprocal situation: a UK child going abroad
A UK child spending six months in France needs a French long-stay visa — the Schengen 90/180-day rule means a visa-free six-month stay is not possible — plus a designated responsible adult recognised by the French school. Similar country-specific requirements apply to our other destinations, and you should check the current position on the EU Entry/Exit System and ETIAS shortly before travel. We’ll work through the specifics with you well before departure.
The local authority’s private fostering assessment considers the suitability of the UK host household. Separately, EFI’s staff and ambassadors assess each family and the proposed match. These are two distinct levels of check, and neither replaces the other. The local authority’s assessment looks at the suitability of everyone in the household, not only the named host parents.
As part of EFI’s own vetting process, we ask the UK family to obtain a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. EFI also obtains the equivalent criminal-record check from the exchange family in the relevant EU country.
Policies and raising a concern
Our child-protection policy and complaints procedure are provided to all exchange families. If you ever need to raise a safeguarding concern about an ongoing exchange, you may use the 24/7 emergency contact route for your Local Representative, or contact us directly and mark your message as urgent.