The Department for Education has awarded £4.4 million to councils in the South East, to boost foster carer recruitment in the region. This is part of the government’s national programme ‘Stable Homes Built on Love’.
Along with 20 other local authorities, Bracknell Forest Council has received £2.4 million for a recruitment hub, and £2 million for Mockingbird, a fostering programme led by The Fostering Network to nurture the relationships between children, young people and foster families, to build a resilient and caring community.
Bracknell Forest Council is leading on the fostering recruitment hub on behalf of the region. This will be a collaborative effort to ensure the goals of the programme are met.
In total, there will be nine regions running this programme across the country, comprised of 105 local authorities. The South East is the largest of nine areas in the country to have been awarded funding.
The 20 other local authorities include Kent, Medway, East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Surrey, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Portsmouth, Achieving for Children (Richmond, Kingston and Windsor and Maidenhead), Brighter Futures for Children (Reading), West Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Wokingham, Slough and Milton Keynes.
The recruitment hub, which will be available from spring 2024, will act as a first point of contact for those interested in fostering, and will be instrumental in shaping the future of foster care recruitment and retention.
As of 31st March 2022, 57,540 children were living with foster families. This is 70 per cent of the 82,170 children in care looked after away from home. There are almost 44,000 foster families in England, which shows there is a gap in the number of children who need care, and the number of fostering families available.
Grainne Siggins, executive director for people, said: “Along with our partner local authorities in the South East, we are delighted to have been awarded £4.4 million to help recruit and retain foster carers.
“With the declining number of foster carers, and the increased need for them by vulnerable children, we hope this funding will help us to shine a light on the desperate need for foster families and the incredible work they do to support those who need it the most.
“All children deserve to feel happy, safe and loved. This funding will ensure we can find as many homes as possible for children who need them.”
Cllr Roy Bailey, executive member for children, young people and learning, said: “We very much welcome this funding from the government and we are looking forward to acting as the lead agency throughout the project.
“We are delighted to be working with our partner local authorities as part of this ground-breaking, collaborative approach to foster carer recruitment. We hope it will encourage more people to become foster carers.”
Investment to support recruitment and retention in the fostering programme in England is much needed, and this £36 million is greatly welcomed.”
The funding will ensure there are more foster carers available by extending recruitment campaigns, simplifying recruitment processes, and providing better support for existing foster carers.
If you are interested in fostering and would like to find out more, please visit the fostering pages on the council’s website.
