Fostering is vital for providing a level of stability to looked-after children, offering them a nurturing environment to develop and thrive. However, London has seen a sharp drop in foster carers, with a 30% decline in approved fostering households between 2014 and 2023.
In response to the urgent need to recruit more foster carers, the UK Government’s Fostering Recruitment and Retention Programme pledged £36million to supporting local authorities to find innovative ways to recruit foster carers. Over half of London's local authorities are part of regional fostering hubs pilots:
Fostering hubs offer a streamlined and supportive recruitment process for prospective carers. They provide a single point of access, linking prospective foster carers with the relevant local authority staff to guide them through every step of the enquiry and application process. By building strong relationships with potential carers, the hubs aim to increase applications and approvals.
Early feedback from prospective foster carers interacting with London’s fostering hubs has been overwhelmingly positive, with many rating their experience as "excellent." This positive engagement is driving approvals, helping local authorities better compete with independent fostering agencies, thus providing more placement options for children in need.
The role of social workers is closely linked with fostering, as they work directly with carers to ensure every young person is adequately supported. For social workers, more foster carers mean better placement options and greater control over care decisions. With an expanded pool of carers, social workers can more easily match children with families who meet their specific needs, ensuring more personalised care.
The collaborative efforts of local authorities have been key to addressing the decreasing number of approved foster carers. Abigail Adieze, Assistant Director of Corporate Parenting at Waltham Forest Council, voiced her pride in London's local authorities working together to recruit foster carers:
“By joining forces with our neighbouring local authorities and pooling our resources we’re better able to address the shortage of foster carers and encourage local people to come forward. It’s a real opportunity for staff to work in a completely different way, working collaboratively with colleagues across the region and taking a really innovative approach to recruiting foster carers” Abigail Adieze, Waltham Forest
“By joining forces with our neighbouring local authorities and pooling our resources we’re better able to address the shortage of foster carers and encourage local people to come forward. It’s a real opportunity for staff to work in a completely different way, working collaboratively with colleagues across the region and taking a really innovative approach to recruiting foster carers”
Abigail Adieze, Waltham Forest
Fostering hubs are helping to transform the recruitment process for foster carers, ultimately ensuring that more young people have access to stable, nurturing homes. With the support of social workers and local authorities, fostering is becoming a priority, promising better outcomes across London and beyond.
If you would like to explore the possibility of fostering a young person in London, visit the fostering hubs' websites (Local Community Fostering in East London or Foster with West London) to get in touch with the teams.
Explore the range of social work jobs in London which support the collaborative opportunities within children's services across the city.