RBWM cabinet member welcomes Government plans to tackle shortage in foster carers

The Royal Borough’s cabinet lead for children’s services has welcomed the Government’s plans to tackle a ‘growing’ shortage of foster carers across England.

At the end of December, the Department for Education unveiled plans to combat the issue through a package of reforms, designed to boost the number of foster care places available and support in retaining existing carers.

The reforms will focus on expanding who can become a foster carer by removing ‘unnecessary barriers’ and enabling more people with families or full-time jobs to offer foster care.

Better support will be offered to carers to fit fostering around their family and working lives and ‘innovative’ models of fostering will also be developed which will be informed by insights from frontline practitioners and foster carers.

Cllr Amy Tisi, the Royal Borough’s cabinet member for children’s services, education and Windsor, said fostering is ‘a hugely valuable and rewarding role’, and has welcomed the Government’s plans to attract more carers.

She said: “Like many areas, we have seen experienced carers retire and not be replaced.

“This has meant that, at times, we’ve had to place children outside the borough or in residential homes when local carers cannot be found, so recruitment is already high on our agenda.”

The Lib Dem councillor added: “Many different kinds of people can provide a secure and caring environment for children and young people who cannot live with their families.

“Age, income, gender, sexuality, marital status and culture do not affect a person’s ability to be a good carer – it’s your personal qualities that matter most.

“Through Achieving for Children, we offer a comprehensive rewards package for our foster carers, including attractive allowances and reimbursement of council tax while a child is in placement.

“Most importantly, we provide excellent training and support so that carers and the children they care for can thrive.”

Nationally, the latest figures published by Ofsted show that at the end of March 2025 there were 33,435 fostering households, which is a 10 per cent decline since 2021.

The new reforms will be backed by the new funding for children’s social care, announced at the Spending Review.

More details are due to be set out, with a consultation
expected to launch early this year.

Josh MacAlister MP, minister for children and families, 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.

“I’d urge anyone who has considered fostering to look into signing up.”

Dame Rachel de Souza, children’s commissioner, said: “Children in care deserve the same things as every other child: loving relationships, a safe home and support throughout their life that sets them up to meet their ambitions – and these are the things they tell me they want.

“I look forward to working closely with Minister MacAlister to set ambitious targets for increasing the number of foster carers in this country, so that every child feels the benefit of a homely, family environment.”

Cllr Tisi added that anyone interested in taking the first step into becoming a foster carer can visit: https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/children-and-families/fostering-royal-borough-windsor-and-maidenhead