Displaying items by tag: Foster care

A decline in available fostering places has led to local councils wasting substantial amounts of money, warns a carers' organisation. Capacity issues can force councils to place children in more costly residential homes, according to sector bodies, but the Government claims to be investing £27 million to improve fostering place availability. Official Ofsted statistics indicate that there were 72,770 approved mainstream fostering places in England as of 31 March, 8% less than on the same date in 2019. The decline is primarily due to an 11% reduction in the number of mainstream local authority households, down to 19,835. Meanwhile, the number of independent fostering agency households has risen by less than 1%, and 'family and friends' households have increased from 6,930 to 8,400. Foster Support CEO Jane Collins emphasised the importance of retaining foster carers, both for financial reasons and to maintain their experience and training. However, she noted that local authorities are struggling in this regard.

Among all homeless families in the USA, over three-quarters are headed by single women with children; about 30 percent of children in the foster care system would be discharged if their parents were properly housed. CityHouse in Delray Beach, Florida, is now providing transitional housing and support for those who would otherwise be homeless and at risk of having their children placed in foster care. Families at the Avenue Church had been providing shelter for such children. ‘We would take that child till the mum or dad got better. But what we discovered was that it was really the mum that needed care as well,’ explained Casey Cleveland, lead pastor at the church. In 2013 a small apartment building was secured with enough units to house five single mothers and their children, and CityHouse was established. The mothers must demonstrate a willingness to make a positive change in their lives, pay a small amount of rent, and attend weekly Bible studies on the property.