The UK is currently experiencing a significant shortage of foster carers. And unfortunately, this is unlikely to improveanytime soon as increased numbers of foster carers choose to leave this role. To top this off, record numbers of children need their support.We will discuss this in more detail below:
There are Record Numbers of Children in Care
Many fostering agencies, including the Foster Care Associates, have reported an increase in the number of children in their care. And it’s not just fostering agencies that are reporting this. The Department of Education has also stated that the number of children in care is at an all-time high.
As of 31st March 2021, 67 children in every 10,000 were in care. This amounts to 80,850 across the UK.Since these figures were released, they have increased significantly, so much so that an expert in the field predicts that by 2025, the number of children in care in the UK will reach 100,000.
What Has Caused This Increase?
While there are several reasons for this increase, one of the main reasons is the cost-of-living crisis. Families no longer feel able to care for or support their children as they once could. And while these families used to be helped by local authorities, this is no longer an option. Budget cuts have resulted in local authorities cutting spending on preventative measures, meaning support for many vulnerable families has stopped.
The Shortage of Foster Carers in the UK
To add to the abovementioned issues, the UK is experiencing a shortage of foster carers. There is currently a shortage of 25,000 foster carers in the UK, which is unlikely to improve in the future, as statistics show that almost half of the foster carers are considering retiring.
Why Are So Many Foster Carers Considering Retiring?
There are several reasons why foster carers are considering retiring from the role. Here are some of them:
- The cost-of-living crisis – the cost-of-living crisis isn’t just having an impact on vulnerable families; it is also having an impact on foster carers. These individuals no longer feel able to fulfil this role as the rising costs are leaving them unable to afford food, heating, and other necessities.
- They do not get the proper support – some foster carers feel they do not get adequate support from their fostering agency. However, there are some great fostering agencies out there that support families when they need it.
How We Can Overcome this Issue
It may come as no surprise that overcoming this issue will be difficult. We not only need to find ways to reduce the number of children going into care by increasing support for vulnerable families, but we also need to increase the number of foster carers.
However, there are some things we can do to increase the number of foster carers. We can recruit more people into the role by explaining the impact they can have on a child or young person’s life. On top of this, we can show them how we can support them through their journey.
We can also find ways to support our existing foster carers. Offering foster carers the support they require may make them less likely to retire from this role.
As you can see, a large majority of foster carers in the UK are considering retiring despite record numbers of children needing them. This is having an enormous impact on children in care. Let’s hope the abovementioned measures can help attract and retain foster carers.
