Government publishes timeline for sweeping children’s social care reforms

The government has published a new implementation plan setting out how major reforms to children’s social care and child protection will be delivered across England following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.

The plan, titled Delivering the Children’s Social Care reset, outlines the next phase of reforms designed to keep more children safely with their families, expand foster care capacity, strengthen kinship care and improve support for care leavers.

The Department for Education said the legislation represents “the biggest overhaul of children’s social care and child protection policy in a generation” and is intended to address longstanding concerns about instability in care, workforce pressures and inconsistent safeguarding arrangements.

Children and Families Minister Josh MacAlister said: “Bringing in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act was a major early priority for this government and it marks a historic moment for children’s social care and child protection in England.

“The Plan we’re publishing today sets out how we will now deliver that change — intervening earlier to support families, strengthening protection for vulnerable children, and ensuring more children can grow up in stable, loving homes.

“Through these reforms we are delivering what vulnerable children need, in partnership with committed frontline professionals, putting children’s safety and wellbeing and giving more young people the best possible start in life.”

Under the reforms, every local authority will be required to establish a single Family Help service intended to provide earlier support and intervention to families. New multi-agency child protection teams bringing together Social Workers, police, health and education professionals will also be introduced to strengthen safeguarding arrangements.

The plan includes measures aimed at increasing support for kinship carers, with councils required to publish local kinship offers backed by national standards. Ministers said this is intended to help more children remain within their wider family networks rather than entering care.

The government also confirmed plans to expand Regional Care Cooperatives and increase foster care placements, alongside wider reforms to the children’s homes market. Enhanced oversight arrangements will include a new provider oversight scheme and tighter regulation for children’s homes providers.

Care leavers are set to receive additional support through a national Staying Close offer from 2029, with assistance covering accommodation, employment and healthcare up to the age of 25. The government also said new corporate parenting responsibilities placed on public bodies would create a more joined-up approach to supporting children in care and care leavers.

The reforms are backed by £2.4 billion for the Families First Partnership Programme, £245 million to support legislative commitments and care market improvements, and £560 million in capital funding to expand and refurbish children’s homes.

Alongside the implementation plan, Foundations has published an evidence-based implementation framework designed to support councils and local partners as reforms are rolled out.

The government said stable and lifelong relationships would remain central to the reforms, with an Enduring Relationships Programme due to launch next month. Adoption support will also continue, with ministers confirming ongoing funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund while consulting on its long-term future.

New legal duties requiring local authorities to promote sibling contact for children in care where it is in their best interests have also now come into force.

Workforce reform forms a significant part of the implementation strategy, including measures to strengthen training and professional standards for children’s homes staff, invest in early career development for Social Workers and streamline Ofsted registration processes.

The government also confirmed plans to strengthen regulation of agency workers from 2028 in a move aimed at improving workforce stability and supporting more consistent relationship-based practice for children and families.