Commenting on the latest national fostering statistics, Nigel Minns, Chair of the ADCS Health, Care and Additional Needs Policy Committee, said:

“These latest statistics highlight a pressing need for more foster placements and reveal the ongoing challenges that local authorities face in providing love and support to our most vulnerable children. The increasing number of children in care, coupled with a decline in available foster carers, heightens the risk of separating sibling groups, relocating children far from their communities, and a lack of specialised foster carers for those who require extra support. While ADCS welcomed recent new investment in both kinship and fostering, it is imperative that local and central government continue to work together to ensure we have enough foster carers and that they have the resources, training, and support needed to thrive in their roles.”