If you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, family friend or connected person looking after a child who cannot be cared for by their parents or another person with parental responsibility, you are a kinship carer.
Kinship care is sometimes called family and friends care.
If you are looking after a child aged under 16 years (or under 18 if they are disabled) who you are not related to, for more than 28 days, and have made this arrangement with the child’s parent without the involvement of a local authority, this is known as a private fostering arrangement.