The New Sector Leaders Committed to Brighter Futures for Children in Care

As foster carers, our primary objective is to achieve real change, meaningful reform, and genuine recognition of our rights, not primarily for our benefit but to ensure we have the protection, security, status, and education necessary to meet the needs of our children.

Our commitment goes beyond providing love and care; we strive to ensure our children not only survive but thrive, securing brighter futures and exceptional outcomes.

To achieve our objectives, it is essential to establish a productive working relationship with government departments and industry stakeholders. This relationship should be founded on collaboration, trust, and mutual benefit, rather than compromises that consistently undermine foster carers.

A key element of this initiative is ensuring foster carers have their own representation, led by individuals from within their sector and workforce. For too long, they have been represented by those without direct experience, causing significant friction within the fostering community. Foster carers seek representation that is equal, inclusive, respectful, and truly representative of the entire fostering workforce, not just a select few.

A palpable new era is now dawning as foster carers increasingly make their voices heard through social media, their own independent surveys, support meetings, training sessions, WhatsApp groups and word of mouth. They are beginning to recognise and harness the fundamental power they hold as the essential workforce that enables foster care to function and exist.

Recently we have experienced a noticeable increase in the number of entities expressing a desire to collaborate. However, given the industry’s history of fiercely guarding its own interests, one must question the sincerity and timing of these invitations. Despite calls for collaboration, many organisations and charities within this sector have consistently resisted genuine cooperation and are unlikely to change.

Despite resistance from an industry accustomed to owning and controlling foster carers, innovative and forward-thinking fostering providers are embracing change. Many are now actively exploring what it means to truly value their workforce with us, thereby future-proofing their authorities and agencies.

Conversely, those who persist in exerting control over carers are facing significant losses, with this behaviour already leading to numerous transfers and departures of foster carers.

A UK-wide strategy for the recruitment and retention of foster carers is essential. This strategy must be developed by a diverse group, led by foster carer leaders and peer-led organisations, to avoid repeating past mistakes and failures. It should encompass sector-wide reform and address the underlying issues contributing to the retention and recruitment crisis, which have been overlooked by industry stakeholders, whether unintentionally, through misplaced good intentions or driven by specific agendas.

Foster carers, fed up with waiting, are now driving significant progress themselves, working diligently behind the scenes to develop concrete solutions. Over the past few years, we have dedicated ourselves to leveraging our sector’s extensive expertise to create actionable solutions backed by empirical evidence, demonstrating the positive impact these solutions could have on the children in our care.

At FosterWiki, we have leveraged this rich knowledge base to achieve groundbreaking results.

We have compiled critical information that was previously unavailable, creating a comprehensive foster carer’s knowledge bank. The new National Foster Carer’s Qualifications and the Integrated Assessment Process for the approval of foster carers have significantly modernised the landscape and raised standards in foster care.

Together with the Independent Foster Carer’s Survey and the FosterWiki Manifesto, which outlines ten actionable steps for major reforms, we are making a significant impact and contributing to the long-needed changes in our sector.

These initiatives aim to create a more efficient, effective, and supportive system for foster carers, ultimately improving the care provided to children and vastly enhancing outcomes. By implementing these reforms, we can ensure that foster carers are adequately trained, properly supported, and fairly represented, paving the way for a brighter future for everyone involved in the fostering community.

The decline in foster care necessitates immediate and effective reform. Listening to foster carers – those directly involved and who understand the system’s nuances is critical. As we move forward, equality in collaboration, transparency, and a genuine commitment to change are essential for building a foster care system that truly works for everyone involved.

At FosterWiki, we believe in taking action rather than merely issuing endless soundbites, press releases and the same rhetoric year in and year out. Instead of constantly asking others to act or blaming others, we focus on demonstrating to the government how we can contribute. We have developed solid solutions and worked diligently to implement them.

We have one single clear agenda to provide the care, stability, and love our children need to not just survive but thrive, and the care they truly deserve.