Who needs fostering?

On any one day there are more than 59,000 children living with foster families in the UK.

There are now more children than ever coming into care, with over 8,000 more in care on any one day now than there were in 2007. Around two-fifths of the children in care are aged 11 to 15, and finding people with the right skills to look after teenagers is now the top priority for fostering services.

Fostering provides a safe, secure and nurturing family environment, either short- or long-term, and allows children to keep in contact with their own families if they wish.

Children come into care for a whole range of reasons, including a family member’s short-term illness or a parent’s depression or drug or alcohol misuse. Some children may have been abused or neglected. Foster carers can give families a chance to sort out their problems by providing children with a home and supportive family for as long as they need.

When a child is taken into care, the local authority (or health and social care (HSC) trust in Northern Ireland) becomes responsible for his or her welfare. Social workers then work with families to make the home a safe place for a child – with the aim that children and parents can be reunited.