Government pledges 10,000 new foster homes as carer numbers continue to fall

The pledge comes as the number of approved foster carers has fallen by almost 12% over the past decade, with declines accelerating since the Covid-19 pandemic while the population of children in care has continued to rise.

Ministers say the shortage has left too many children placed far from their communities or in residential care, settings which are often linked to poorer educational outcomes, greater health risks and increased exposure to exploitation and criminal activity.

According to government figures cited alongside the announcement, care-experienced young people are less than one-third as likely to achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and face a significantly higher risk of early mortality. Residential care also continues to place major financial strain on councils, costing local authorities around £4.7bn in 2022–23.

As part of wider reforms to children’s social care, the Department for Education has launched a national consultation on fostering, backed by a new vision and action plan aimed at simplifying rules, expanding recruitment and strengthening support for carers.

Outdated requirements will be removed to open fostering to a wider range of households, with ministers making clear that foster carers do not need to be married, own their home or give up full-time work to provide effective care. A new national fostering rulebook will seek to reduce bureaucracy and support more stable placements, while regional fostering hubs will be strengthened to improve recruitment, training and matching across local areas.

The package includes £88m of repurposed funding to support foster carers and frontline services, alongside £25m to develop new flexible and part-time fostering models and practical support such as help with home improvements to enable carers to take sibling groups.

Children and families minister Josh MacAlister said reversing the decline in foster places was an urgent priority.

“Foster carers give children the stable, loving relationships they need to thrive,” he said. “We’re bringing fostering into the 21st century, removing outdated rules and unnecessary barriers to become foster carers as part of our overhaul of the care system.”

Sector organisations broadly welcomed the plans, while stressing the importance of sustained support and careful recruitment.

Sarah Thomas, chief executive of The Fostering Network, said the strategy came at a critical moment for the sector.

“For the past four years, more foster carers have been leaving than joining, as increasing pressures within an overstretched children’s social care system continue to impact on children,” she said.

She added that the ambition to create homes for 10,000 more children was an important step toward improving stability and praised increased funding for the Mockingbird support programme, which helps foster families build community networks.

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said the reforms could transform the lives of thousands of children currently denied stable family homes.

“Too often, decisions about children in care are based not on what’s best for them, but on a shortage of good options,” she said, pointing to situations where siblings are separated, children are placed in unsuitable accommodation or remanded into custody because no appropriate care placement is available.

She emphasised the need for more specialist foster carers to support children with complex needs and reduce pressure on the wider care system.

CoramBAAF also welcomed the action plan, highlighting the need to balance ambitious recruitment targets with high standards of assessment and training.

James Bury, the organisation’s head of policy, research and development, said the organisation will be working with its members to deliver the changes in practice.

“The focus of this work could not be more timely with too many carers leaving fostering for a variety of preventable reasons. We will be working closely with the government to help implement these changes through advice, training and support to local authorities, independent agencies and regions.”

The reforms were also welcomed by Foundations, the national What Works Centre for Children and Families, which said the emphasis on stable relationships and evidence-based practice was encouraging.

Chief executive Dr Jo Casebourne said the plan’s focus on innovation and learning what works to support foster placements would be vital to improving outcomes for children, alongside stronger support for carers working with young people affected by trauma.

The Department for Education’s consultation forms part of its wider programme of children’s social care reform, which aims to expand family-based care, improve consistency across the country and reduce reliance on high-cost residential provision.