England’s children miss right care as foster numbers fall

New Ofsted figures show children in England who need a fostering family are at risk of not accessing one, as the number of foster carers has declined for the fourth year running. This has led to a major loss of 7,545 fostering households since 2021.

Whilst Ofsted’s 2025 Fostering in England data shows the rates of foster carers leaving fostering have slowed over the past year – with a one percent decline compared to six percent in 2024 – The Fostering Network estimates that 5,000 more fostering families are needed in England to ensure all children can live with the right family for their needs.

As of March 2025, there were 56,345 approved foster carers in England – a loss of 720 households over the last year.

The Fostering Network’s 2024 State of the Nation’s Foster Care report shows foster carers are leaving for three main reasons – a lack of support from their fostering service, a lack of respect from other professionals, and burnout or poor well-being related to fostering.

Declining numbers of foster carers have a direct impact on children and young people – sibling groups are being split up and children are being placed far away from their local communities.

The latest Children Looked After figures, published by the Department for Education in November, show 45 percent of children in care are placed outside of their local authority boundary, while 22 percent are placed more than 20 miles from home.

This disrupts the positive relationships and connections children have in their local area.

Although the number of children in care has remained consistent since 2020, the number going into children’s homes has increased, partly due to the availability of foster carers.

It’s also reflective of the rising number of children with more complex needs, and young people entering care when they are older – which means they are more likely to be placed in a residential home.

The Fostering Network is now calling on the government to take urgent action and introduce a new fostering strategy that addresses both the retention and recruitment of foster carers.

Chief executive of The Fostering Network, Sarah Thomas, said: “Fewer foster carers left this year, but Ofsted’s figures yet again make one thing painfully clear: too many foster carers are still leaving. The government’s ambition to recruit more carers is welcome – but we need to do more to prevent those carers we do have from leaving – this is within the government’s power to change.

“We urgently need a national recruitment and retention strategy that tackles why carers are leaving and supports those who step forward. Without swift action to make foster care sustainable, more children will be pushed into residential care or placed far from the families and friends they depend on.”

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