Government pledges to reverse decline in foster carer numbers

The government has signalled new action in early 2026 to address urgent need for more foster carers and support retention of existing carers.

Minister for Children and Families, Josh MacAlister has made a new commitment to tackle the growing shortage of foster carers across England, confirming that a comprehensive package of reforms will be introduced in the new year to increase the number of foster places available and support the retention of existing carers.

The latest figures published by Ofsted highlight the scale of the challenge. At the end of March 2025, there were 33,435 fostering households – a 10% decline since 2021.  A lack of foster homes pushes children into residential care, where they have worse expected outcomes in education, health and long-term prospects, and where they can become more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, as highlighted in the Casey Audit.

McAlister said “Fostering changes lives – not just for children who need safety, stability and love, but for the families who open their homes to them. We know the number of foster carers has been falling, and that is why this government will be taking decisive action to give stable and loving homes to children that need them.” 

The fostering reforms to be introduced early in the new year will be backed by new funding for children’s social care announced at the Spending Review and will focus on:

·         Expanding who can become foster carers, removing unnecessary barriers and enabling more people with full-time jobs or families of their own to offer foster care, and removing unnecessary barriers

·         Better supporting carers to fit fostering around busy family and working lives

·         Developing innovative models of fostering, informed by insights from foster carers and frontline practitioners.

McAlister commented “There is an urgent need to get more children in care into loving, supportive homes where they can thrive – I’d urge anyone who has considered fostering to look into signing up.”