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Foster Carers
21 April 2022
Lead MP
Kate Osborne
Jarrow and Gateshead East
Lab
Responding Minister
Will Quince
Tags
Children & FamiliesLocal Government
Word Count: 13197
Other Contributors: 13
At a Glance
Kate Osborne raised concerns about foster carers in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
I would like the Minister to seriously consider the Mockingbird strategy as adopted by South Tyneside and many others, listen to best practice from local authorities, carry out a comprehensive review of minimum levels of fostering allowance using up-to-date evidence to ensure foster carers are given sufficient payment to cover the full cost of looking after a child.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The number of initial inquiries to foster is at an all-time high with 160,635 inquiries in the year ending 31 March 2021. However, only 10,145 applications—a mere 6%—were actually received. Since 2014, the number of foster carers in England has increased by only 4%, while the number of children in foster care has risen by 11%. Over a third of foster carers said that their allowances do not meet the full cost of looking after a child, and fourteen local authorities reported that their foster care allowances were below the national minimum allowance for at least one age group across England. South Tyneside Council's model of training carers to degrees is highly commendable but relies on factors for which the responsibility lies truly at the feet of Government Ministers.
Barry Gardiner
Lab
Brent West
Paying tribute to the Fostering Network and highlighting the high number of children needing care due to social breakdowns and family stress. He noted that local authorities like Brent face difficulties in recruiting newer foster carers due to housing shortages and cost-of-living pressures. Noted that the Minister had almost concluded his remarks and requested him to address the issue of independent fostering agencies offering higher rates to foster carers, which is causing inflationary pressure in the system and making it difficult for local authorities to find sufficient numbers of carers.
David Simmonds
Con
Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
Mr Simmonds highlighted the UK's high-performing care system and emphasised the respect owed to foster carers. He raised concerns over the role of private fostering agencies, noting their profits from taxpayer funds. He suggested focusing on recruitment through word-of-mouth and celebrating foster carers' contributions nationally. Mr Simmonds also discussed retaining foster carers by providing them with better support and simpler processes.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Foster carers provide more than 70% of care placements and are critical to the welfare of looked-after children. However, there is a significant shortage of foster carers with nine in ten fostering services reporting shortages, particularly for teenagers, large sibling groups, children with disabilities, and parent and child placements. The recruitment process has a low success rate, and financial allowances do not cover full costs. Poor-performing social care systems impact the ability to recruit and retain foster carers.
Ian Byrne
Lab
Liverpool West Derby
Thanks his hon. Friend for initiating the debate and highlights the positive impact fostering can have on both carers and children, citing a personal example.
Janet Daby
Lab
Lewisham East
Agrees that funding cuts have indirectly impacted the support social workers can offer foster carers, affecting their ability to continue fostering and manage children's welfare.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon highlighted the Northern Ireland perspective on foster care, noting that over 3,000 children and young people are living with foster carers in Northern Ireland. He praised the additional £25 a week funding for each child provided by Robin Swann, the Northern Ireland Minister responsible. Shannon also expressed concerns about difficulties faced by care homes, including shoplifting incidents and lack of support from authorities to address these issues. He emphasized the importance of providing a 'loving, firm hand' for children in foster care.
Hayes and Harlington
My hon. Friend asks why the numbers coming into care are so great, citing Barnardo's and other children's charities arguing for additional resources for early intervention. He also points out that 20% of children in foster care are in placements more than 20 miles away from where they live, exacerbated by the housing crisis.
Jonathan Gullis
Lab
Stoke-on-Trent North
Jonathan Gullis highlighted the efforts of Stoke-on-Trent City Council to improve fostering services, noting that since May 2019, the council has been working towards better support for foster carers and recruitment. He mentioned the fostering friendly scheme and the new fostering policy launched in 2020 offering flexible working arrangements for staff who decide to become foster carers. Gullis also pointed out an increase in recruitment of foster carers, from 30 to 33 last year compared to the previous year.
Margaret Ferrier
SNP
Rutherglen and Hamilton West
Welsh Government's Foster Wales initiative has created a network of local authority fostering services, suggesting England and Scotland could benefit from a similar national approach.
Mary Foy
Lab
City of Durham
Pays tribute to foster carers and outlines the rising demand for foster placements alongside the shortage of new entrants. She mentions that more than 63,000 new foster carers need to be recruited by 2026 but estimates suggest only around 40,000 will actually join, creating a deficit of about 25,000. She also notes the high turnover rate with 30% leaving within two years citing lack of training and support as key reasons.
Neale Hanvey
SNP
Dunfermline and West Fife
Shared his personal journey into foster care, emphasizing the importance of providing a loving home to children in need. He highlighted that being a foster carer requires surrendering oneself and committing to supporting children with complex needs. Neale praised the support he received from Barnardo's and other organisations, which helped him provide long-term permanent care. He stressed the necessity for more people to come forward as foster carers and encouraged investment in training, recruitment, and stability.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Considers the crisis in children's social work staffing is exacerbating issues for local authorities regarding support for foster carers.
Tulip Siddiq
Lab
Hampstead and Highgate
Highlights BBC analysis showing a shortage of BAME foster carers, despite 23% of children waiting for placements coming from BAME backgrounds, with black boys having the longest wait times.
Government Response
Will Quince
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Robertson. First, let me congratulate the hon. Member for Jarrow (Kate Osborne) on securing a debate on this very important subject... Foster carers often do not get the recognition they deserve. I want to put on record that they are hugely valued. They are incredible people. They make an enormous contribution to our society, and they should never underestimate the impact they have on some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in our country. I conclude by thanking every single one of them.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.