Another Drop in Foster Carers
Author: FosterWiki
Another drop in foster carers: A wake-up call for reform
FosterWiki analysis of the latest Ofsted data
The foster care system is under intolerable pressure. The recent Fostering in England report from Ofsted has revealed a third consecutive year of decline in foster carer numbers. This troubling trend has serious implications for the stability and well-being of children and young people who depend on foster care.
The figures
The official report reveals a continued net loss of mainstream fostering households, with numbers declining by over 8,000 since 2020 representing a 10% drop. This shortfall is particularly concerning in light of the Social Market Foundation’s forecast that an additional 25,000 foster families will be required by 2026 as the number of children and young people entering care increases.
In 2023, the government dedicated £36 million to a foster carer recruitment and retention initiative, with a further £15 million funding pledged. Eighteen months ago, a contract was awarded to establish Regional Recruitment Hubs, with the government advising that results from these efforts are yet to be fully seen.
The government has expressed hope that these initiatives “will generate hundreds of new placements.” However, given the scale of the current shortfall and the significant investment of over £50 million, one would expect these efforts to produce thousands of new carers. However, without addressing the deep-rooted systemic issues that continue to plague retention and recruitment this outcome remains unlikely.
Recruitment and Assessment Failings
A significant obstacle to fostering recruitment lies in the outdated and often demoralising assessment process. Of the 5,535 fostering applications submitted last year, nearly 70% were withdrawn before completion, a figure that is not only disappointing but untenable. While there are multiple factors influencing this dropout rate, feedback indicates that the assessment process itself is a major deterrent.
The costs associated with each assessment, estimated between £10,000 and £15,000, represent a considerable expense to the public purse, especially given the scale of withdrawals.
Regional recruitment hubs have aimed to ‘support’ prospective carers through the assessment journey, however, providing support within a process that is so fundamentally outdated only scratches the surface.
What is needed is not incremental tweaks to the system but a comprehensive overhaul that aligns with the demands of modern fostering and the complex needs of children.
Prospective carers should not merely be ‘supported’, they should be empowered, educated, and assessed by skilled, interdisciplinary teams through a strengths-based approach. The current process, often led by a single assessor taking eight months or so, is insufficient. Outcomes for care leavers remain poor, and many carers leave the role within their first year, underscoring the urgency for meaningful reform.
Focusing on current carers to drive recruitment
The government has invested in the Mockingbird programme, a US-developed model brought to the UK by The Fostering Network, as a core element of its retention strategy. Yet, despite a decade of implementation, only 4% of foster carers are involved with Mockingbird, prompting questions about whether this is the most inclusive or impactful use of retention funding. The government’s prioritisation of this programme may stem from a limited feedback loop, heavily influenced by those promoting it, rather than broad input from mainstream foster carers themselves.
Foster carers are traditionally the best ambassadors for fostering, but years of systemic neglect have eroded the positive word of mouth that once aided recruitment. With social media now amplifying foster carers’ experiences, the failings of the system are no longer hidden, further discouraging prospective carers from entering the field.
While commonly cited factors such as inadequate support and insufficient remuneration are often blamed for the decline, they only scratch the surface. The full reasons behind foster carer attrition are far more complex and deep-seated. Foster carers serve as essential frontline workers, offering loving homes and care to children with complex needs, often at significant personal and financial costs.
However, they are not afforded the same rights, protections, or working conditions as others within children’s services, a disparity that further drives attrition.
A Climate of Fear and Disillusionment Among Foster Carers
In early 2024, the Independent Foster Carer’s Survey offered carers an unprecedented opportunity to share their perspectives. Their responses revealed a pervasive sense of disillusionment, disconnection, and betrayal, as well as a toxic culture that fosters a climate of fear.
These issues were identified as core contributors to the decline in foster carer numbers.
This week, FosterWiki released the Allegations Impact Report, a landmark document that is the first to delve into the far-reaching effects of the allegations process on foster carers and the fostering sector as a whole. The report sheds light on the culture of fear created by this process and examines how it impacts carers and children alike, revealing a critical area for reform in the journey toward a sustainable, effective fostering system.
Going forward
Sustainable reform requires a comprehensive overhaul of the culture of children’s services, the climate of fear foster carers operate in and developing a system that has independent oversight.
The new government’s pledge for additional millions for foster care indicates a willingness to address these issues. However, for these funds to have a meaningful impact, they must be directed toward initiatives that address the root causes of carer attrition, prioritising this over recruitment. Simply increasing the number of foster carers while these underlying issues persist is both ineffective and short-sighted.
While the focus of the last care review on keeping children with their families is welcomed, many children will always need our care and protection. Without a genuine commitment to meaningful reform, and by continuing to rely on superficial changes and the same approaches from the same people, we risk neglecting the underlying issues that hinder the ability of children in care to live in stable, loving homes. If we do not address these challenges, the opportunities for these children will continue to diminish. We owe them far more.
