Comment: Ofsted Fostering in England statistics
Nigel Minns, Chair of the ADCS Health, Care and Additional Needs Policy Committee, said:
“These statistics highlight the urgent need to recruit more foster carers who can meet the diverse needs of children in our care. The number of children in care is increasing but there is a national shortage of foster carers which makes finding suitable places for children to live difficult. We cannot meet the needs of children in care without enough foster carers and councils are investing in local and regional campaigns to encourage more people to foster, and to make those already fostering want to stay, we need government’s support with this. We need a nationally developed and funded foster care recruitment and retention campaign without delay. It should focus on the value of foster carers and the difference they make to a child’s life. When a suitable foster family cannot be found in house, local authorities often use independent fostering agencies to find homes for children, however, the high cost of these placements places pressure on severely stretched council finances. The government must address this.”
ENDS
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