Foster carer recruitment drive as West children entering care rises
A drive to recruit more foster carers is under way as councils in the West of England see rising numbers of children entering care and fewer carers than five years ago.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An appeal to recruit more foster carers is under way across the West of England as councils face a rise in children entering care and a fall in the number of carers. Research cited in the coverage says children do better when fostered, but councils across the region are having to make more use of costly children's homes as demand grows.
In South Gloucestershire, Wes has fostered for eight years after caring for Romeo, the first child he fostered. Romeo has now become his second adoptive son. Wes, who is a single gay man, said his experience has been positive and he wants others to consider fostering. He said every day gives a child the chance of a better and more fun life, though he acknowledged trauma and past experiences can be part of care. He said the focus is on the present and on making sure a child feels safe and happy. He also said there is financial benefit to fostering and that people should not assume having their own children rules it out.
Amy Burns, who went to a foster family at 14, said fostering saved her life. She said it helped her progress to university and a career in media, and that without the love and support of her foster parents she would not be where she is today. She was invited to 10 Downing Street to speak at the launch of the national drive to recruit more foster parents.
The government wants to reverse years of decline in foster carer numbers. There are 12% fewer carers now than five years ago. At the same time, most councils in the region have seen more children coming into care, with numbers up 35% in Bristol and Somerset over the last five years. Those involved in the drive said money would help but a culture change is also needed to make fostering more mainstream. They added that every foster carer recruited makes a difference to a young person's life and saves a considerable amount of money.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A research finding suggested better outcomes for fostered children, while councils in the West increased their use of expensive children's homes. | |
| Bristol and Somerset saw a 35% rise in children entering care over five years. | |
| Foster carer numbers fell by 12% over a five-year period. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel put local case studies at the centre of the report, following foster carer Wes in South Gloucestershire and care leaver Amy Burns. It linked their experiences to the national recruitment drive and to pressures on councils, including rising care numbers and the cost of children's homes. The tone was warm and solution-focused, with a clear message that fostering changes lives and can save public money.
- “Fostering definitely saved my life.”
- “My reality has been very, very positive.”
- “We need to achieve a culture change, we need to make fostering more mainstream”
Broadcast Timeline
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