Registered Foster Mothers

[DianaCanada]

A relative, Anna Jeannette Oliver, b. 1875, Fairlight, Sussex, is listed in the 1939 register as a "registered foster mother", in Hastings.  There are four individuals redacted, so am assuming they were foster children.
Does anyone know more about registered foster mothers?
Anna was single and had lived with her mother, likely until she died in 1928, so this might have been some way to supplement a meagre income.

[Ashtone]

This 1938 report mentions the term:
https://wellcomelibrary.org/moh/report/b18252175/172#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=172

[DianaCanada]

This 1938 report mentions the term:
https://wellcomelibrary.org/moh/report/b18252175/172#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=172

Thank you, Ashtone, interesting.  I thought it might be a local authority that covered it, this seems to pertain to London, but likely Sussex had something similar.

[Ashtone]

If you Google the term be sure to be specific to the UK (not Oz) and circa 1940.

[DianaCanada]

Thank you.

[Ashtone]

The term is mentioned a lot in UK newspapers. There's adverts for them. It appears they were paid, as well. One 1913 clipping is below...

[Ashtone]

I'm also seeing some newspaper reports where women have claimed to be a RFM, but they weren't.

[DianaCanada]

Interesting!  Thank you.  I should do a search on that term in the Hastings papers.

[Ashtone]

As the 1938 link above stated: "There is no preliminary 'Registration' of the woman or her home".
So, one wonders if a woman could simply inform the local Council "I'm a registered foster mother" and have some children handed over to her. Kind of scary, when you think about it.