How to Waste £88 million

Yesterday, the government announced a new Fostering Action Plan.

Part of this plan includes spending £88 million over the next couple of years to strengthen recruitment, retention and support.

And it’s not difficult to see why the care system needs to strengthen recruitment.

In England, over the last decade, the number of approved carers has plummeted by nearly 12%.

There’s just one problem…

The real crisis in fostering isn’t recruitment. It’s retention.

To illustrate this, I present Exhibit A (from the government’s own press release):

“New rules will bring the fostering system into the 21st century, opening fostering up to more people and making clear that carers don’t have to be married, homeowners, or not working full time to foster effectively.”

Wonderful news!

Ten years back, when I applied to become a foster carer, I wasn’t married. I also didn’t own my home. And I had just stopped working full-time.

I didn’t think any of that would matter. And I was right.

I spend most of my waking hours talking to people about the care system and the children who find themselves thrown into it. There are lots of misconceptions. But I’m yet to meet anyone who thinks you can’t foster because you’re not married, a homeowner, or working full-time. That’s because these people don’t exist.

What’s worse, pretending these misconceptions exist diverts us from the misconceptions that matter.

Well-meaning but poorly educated professionals often provide the opposite of support to foster families who so desperately need genuine help.

Worse still, through a lack of understanding and experience, these professionals ruin lives. They move children from loving homes. They blame, shame and terrorise loving parents and carers. And they do so because they think they know best.

This is where the gap exists. This is what children need.

And of course, it’s not all professionals. Many are fantastic.

But many aren’t. I know this because every week, via email, direct messages, and at any in-person event I attend… I hear from grown adults reduced to tears over the way their families have been treated.

We know what children in care need.

It’s not a revolving door of unsupported, humiliated carers.

It’s loving carers and parents who are educated and supported by professionals who know what they’re doing.