Comment: NAFP survey

Commenting on a survey by the National Association of Fostering Providers on referrals by local authorities to IFAs Steve Crocker, ADCS President, said:

“Meeting the needs of children in care is one of the highest priorities for all local authorities. Finding the right homes for children as close to the people and places they know is a key part of this, however, demand for placements far outstrips supply, including for foster homes, making this increasingly difficult to do. The rising costs of placements is also very worrying and financially problematic for local authorities as is the profiteering by some private providers on the backs of vulnerable children. We need more placements, of all types for children when and where they need them and greater government action on profiteering in the children’s placements market, Regional Care Cooperatives will not provide the whole solution to these pressing challenges.

“The report highlights several concerning issues we are seeing reflected nationally, such as the impact of the pandemic on parental and child mental health. The government must make tackling the crisis in children’s mental health a priority by investing more time, attention and resources towards this. The report makes a number of recommendations for local authorities, independent fostering agencies and the government to consider that it suggests could improve current arrangements for matching and placing children in foster care. This includes a national recruitment and retention campaign to encourage more people to consider fostering which ADCS has long called for. A national campaign would complement the work local authorities, and regions, are already doing to recruit and retain carers. Having more foster carers who are willing to care for the cohort of children currently in our care will lead to more placement choice and that is a good thing for children.”

ENDS

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