A National Fostering Reform - 10,000 homes
The Minister for Children and Families, Josh MacAlister, alongside the Department for Education is leading an ambitious national reform. The goal is clear: to create 10,000 additional stable, loving foster homes by 2029.
For the sector, this represents a significant shift in ambition, pace and investment. The reforms are not incremental, they are structural, and they will reshape how fostering is recruited, assessed and supported.
Key areas of change include:
Expanding capacity within existing homes
Investment is being directed into schemes such as the Room Makers programme, enabling Foster Carers to extend or adapt their homes. The intention is simple: lack of space should no longer be a barrier to fostering.
Innovation funding for new models
An Innovation Fund will support 10 new practice models focused on improving recruitment and retention. These pilots will sit within existing Regional Care Co-operatives (RCCs), testing new approaches at scale.
Expansion of Recruitment Hubs and RCCs
Recruitment Hubs will take on full responsibility for the end-to-end journey, from initial enquiry through to approval and onboarding. This marks a shift away from the current fragmented model, where Local Authorities often take over partway through the process.
RCCs will play a more strategic role in ensuring “home sufficiency” across regions. This includes aligning placement availability with local need, working more closely with hubs, and the private sector, and ensuring appropriate residential provision where fostering is not suitable.
Typically, these regional groupings will cover 6 to 8 Local Authorities. However, participation remains optional.
National recruitment campaign
A large-scale national campaign will aim to reach new audiences and challenge outdated perceptions of who can foster. The focus will be on myth-busting and widening the pool beyond traditional assumptions, with the expectation of generating significantly higher enquiry volumes.
Expansion of Mockingbird Model
The success of the Mockingbird Model to support the retention and support of carers is being expanded with a further 100 constellations being funded.
Greater clarity on financial support
There is a clear push to standardise and better communicate Foster Carer fees and allowances, including wider benefits such as council tax reductions. Consistency here is seen as critical to improving both recruitment and retention.
Digital transformation of the assessment journey
The reform explicitly calls for a digital solution to streamline fostering assessments. Fosterli has contributed to early research and discovery in this space, with a clear direction towards structured digital workflows that enable Social Workers to manage enquiries efficiently and improve conversion across the pipeline.
Consultations on key structural changes
Further consultations are underway, including proposals to remove fostering panels for approvals and first-year reviews to reduce cost and delay, and to bring greater clarity and consistency to DBS processes.
