Foster carers will not stay unless the system starts listening
Foster carers are not a resource to recruit for the short term and hope to replace later, writes National Fostering Group CEO Tim Barclay
Every child in foster care deserves a home that feels stable, and that stability depends on people who are willing to open their homes and remain in the role for as long as possible.
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While our carers often tell us how rewarding fostering can be, we also know that continuing in the role depends on feeling properly supported, well-trained and heard. At National Fostering Group, this approach is making a difference: last year, more carers joined us than left.
That sounds normal, but in this sector it is not and unfortunately the wider picture is more fragile. The number of approved mainstream foster carers in England has fallen by 12% since 2021, and almost 4,700 fostering households deregistered in the year to March 2025 alone. The latest report from the Nationwide Association of Foster Providers (NAFP) describes recruitment and retention as being at crisis levels. Behind those numbers are carers who felt exhausted, financially stretched, or that their expertise was being ignored by the system they were trying to support.
This experience can be felt by those looking after children with complex needs, many of whom have lived through trauma, have a disability that’s either mental or physical, or experience behavioural problems. Supporting these children well can take an emotional toll, which makes clear guidance and support for carers crucial if both they and the child are to thrive.
At National Fostering Group, we believe the answer is investment that approaches fostering like the skilled job it actually is. For example, last year we delivered more than 200,000 hours of training to our carers, alongside a reliable financial package and specialist support around every placement. That is the model we would like to see become standard across the sector.
As a result, we have learnt that listening matters just as much as the funding. The carers themselves know what would make the role more sustainable, because they live the experience every day. The Nationwide Association of Foster Providers has recently launched a Foster Carer Forum, bringing carers together from across independent fostering agencies to shape policy directly rather than simply respond to decisions already made. In fact, a number of our own carers are involved in the initiative. That kind of forum, where carers help set the agenda rather than comment on it after the fact, is the direction the childcare system should be moving in.
We do not believe that foster carers are a resource to recruit for the short term and hope to replace later. They are skilled people making real positive changes to children’s lives. If we want children in care to have the stable, loving homes they deserve, the social care system has to get better at looking after the dedicated people who provide those homes, not just leaving it to fostering agencies to be the sticking plaster for the situation.
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Tim Barclay is Chief Executive of the National Fostering Group.
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