policy and campaigns

Over the last few months, we asked our members to share their views on the final report of the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care in England. They did so through our care review survey, at focus groups and in forum meetings. 

Daisy Elliott, research and evidence manager at The Fostering Network, focuses on one of the biggest challenges currently facing the foster care sector – the retention and recruitment of foster carers. Daisy shares details of research we are doing on this issue and how foster carers and fostering services can get involved.

We have seen the difference that clear national leadership has made to adoption in England, with the Adoption Leadership Board and Strategy driving performance improvements and creating clear leadership within the sector. Given that 71 per cent of children in care in England live with foster carers, similar levels of leadership and resource must now be directed to the fostering sector, which is under huge pressure. Our chief executive, Kevin Williams, explains. 

The Children Act 1989 was a landmark law for England and Wales giving every child the right to protection from abuse and exploitation and set out ways to safeguard their welfare. Colleagues at The Fostering Network reflect on the Act 30 years on.

Time flies! It’s been a busy start to the year for the campaigns and policy team, and hard to believe we’re at the end of February already. A new year has also brought with it a new Children’s Minister in England, so it’s all change at the Department for Education.

Welcome to the latest blog from the policy team at The Fostering Network.

Last year we were instrumental in persuading the Education Committee in England to implement a fostering inquiry. We prepared our own detailed responses to feed into the inquiry, our chief executive and director of operations gave oral evidence, and we facilitated foster carers to respond as individuals as well. In this way we are confident that the committee got a good picture of the current fostering landscape in England.

After all the evidence from many organisations and individuals had been digested, the committee published their report into the inquiry just before Christmas.

We’ve had an excellent start to our access to free childcare campaign. Since launching it last week with a letter printed in the Guardian signed by 12 other organisations, we have had an unprecedented response from people lending their support to the cause. It really is scandalous how fostered children in England have been so explicitly excluded from the extra 15 hours of free childcare, but we’re determined to reverse this decision!

The nights are drawing in but we never stop campaigning to improve foster care! Welcome to the latest campaigns blog.