News

Support available for private foster carers

25 March 2026
Thurrock Council is hosting an online information session to raise awareness of private fostering arrangements and share why it is important to let us know if you are in one. 
Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (or under 18 if they are disabled) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a ‘close relative’ for 28 days or more. 
Examples of private foster carers could include a family friend, a great aunt or great-grandparent, or a more distant relative. 

Support available for private foster carers

5 November 2025
Thurrock Council is raising awareness of private fostering arrangements and sharing why it is important to let us know if you are in one.
Private fostering is when a child under the age of 16 (or under 18 if they are disabled) is cared for by someone who is not their parent or a ‘close relative’ for 28 days or more.
Examples of private foster carers could include a family friend, a great aunt or great-grandparent, family friends of the child or a more distant relative.

Sign-up for Thurrock News – our monthly email newsletter.

Media enquiries

Journalists and media professionals can make enquiries from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, 01375 652 017 or at communicationsteam@thurrock.gov.uk.

For emergency media enquiries outside of these times, phone 07912 782 470.

The communications team email inbox is not monitored outside of office hours, so email media enquiries received out-of-hours may not be answered until the next working weekday.

We advise our staff, when approached directly by a member of the media, not to answer questions themselves but to refer you to the communications team who will provide our response.

We do not normally comment on individual cases or enquiries relating to council staff.