Key facts
- The number of fostering households in England has dropped 10% since 2021.
- Over one in three foster carers in England are now aged 60 or over.
- The campaign aims to recruit 10,000 new foster care places by the end of this parliament.
- There are approximately 56,400 children in foster care in England at any one time.
- Over half a million adults in England want to foster, and an estimated 3.4 million are interested.
England is launching its first national foster carer recruitment campaign on Wednesday to address a significant shortfall in available placements. The number of fostering households has declined by 10% since 2021, and the existing foster carer population is aging, with over a third now aged 60 or older.
The campaign aims to attract adults in their 30s and 40s to open their homes to vulnerable children, with a goal of creating 10,000 new foster care places by the end of the current parliamentary term. It will be accompanied by trials of flexible care models, including short-term "respite fostering" and weekend fostering, intended to make the role more accessible to a broader range of individuals.
Children's minister Josh MacAlister expressed hope that the campaign would inspire a national moment of action, similar to the response to the Homes for Ukraine scheme. He emphasized that many families possess the necessary qualities to foster and encouraged them to begin the process, warning that a failure to expand the system could lead to more children remaining in residential care or being placed far from their communities.
Marie-France van Heel, the prime minister's wife, revealed she had considered fostering but was deterred by her husband's job and the perceived need to become a "different type of person." She stated the campaign seeks to dismantle such myths and misconceptions.
Research by the Coram Institute for Children indicates a substantial interest in fostering, with over half a million adults wanting to foster and an estimated 3.4 million expressing interest. Coram's CEO, Dame Carol Homden, welcomed the government's plans and highlighted specific demographics with higher fostering propensity, such as women, larger households, and those from minoritized ethnic backgrounds. However, Homden also stressed the importance of retaining current foster carers, citing factors like feeling undervalued and financial strain, as only 33% of carers report their allowances fully cover costs.