Councils come together to create country’s largest local authority fostering partnership

Councils from across the South East have come together to create the country’s largest local authority fostering partnership.

There are currently over 11,000 children in care across the South East, but fewer than 3,000 local authority approved foster carers.

Councils say there is an urgent need to recruit more people to provide safe, loving, and local homes for vulnerable children and hope that the partnership will help to increase the number of foster carers across the region.

Local Authority Fostering South East (LAFSE) is a new virtual fostering hub bringing together the expertise of 20 councils. The new hub aims to ensure prospective foster carers have access to a centralised platform for their initial enquiries about fostering and will see local authorities work collaboratively to provide support from the start of a carer’s fostering journey.

The new regional hub will be running marketing campaigns to raise awareness of fostering and encourage more people to become a foster carer with their local council. The new organisation will also offer local training, financial assistance, and ongoing support from a non-profit organisation, who are the corporate parents for the children needing foster care.

Prospective foster carers will also be able to take part in a new fostering ambassador scheme, enabling them to speak to an existing carer to find out what the role is really like.

Natasha Sampson, South East Regional Strategic Lead, urged anyone interested in fostering to get in touch.

“For the first time in the South East, we are leveraging the collective skills, knowledge, resources and support of 20 local authorities to ensure children and young people have a stable home, in a loving family, which they all deserve.

“The new hub will make this possible by increasing the number of local foster carers and making sure they are well supported through their recruitment journey and beyond.”