Foster Care Fortnight 2025 runs from18 May to 25 May.
Throughout the next two weeks, Kent Fostering will be joining others across the UK to thank foster carers for all they do and raise awareness of the life-changing impact fostering can have.
This year’s theme - The Power of Relationships - highlights the vital connections at the heart of fostering. The bonds formed with foster carers help children and young people grow and thrive. Foster carers play a crucial role in providing safe, stable, and nurturing homes for children and young people - many of whom have faced difficult or traumatic experiences. They support children in their education, physical and emotional wellbeing, and help them rebuild trust and confidence.
Kent Foster Carer, Debbie Bashford explained: “When I first considered becoming a foster carer, two of my biggest worries were how it might affect my birth children and how we would ever cope with saying goodbye to a child we had cared for. Now, looking back, those very concerns have become two of the greatest gifts fostering has given us.
“My birth children were between 7 and 15 when we began our fostering journey, and having children in our home has had such a positive impact on them. They’ve grown into compassionate, understanding, and caring young adults who work together as a team. Fostering has truly shaped who they are today.
Debbie Bashford fosters with Kent Fostering
“Of course, saying goodbye is never easy we have shed many tears. But the lasting relationships we have built with the children who have been part of our family are incredibly precious. We love reconnecting, seeing them thrive, and continuing to be part of their lives. It’s a privilege we are so grateful for.
“We only hope the children gain as much from being with us as we do from having them in our lives. Fostering is all about relationships and those connections will stay with you forever.”
We urgently need more foster carers. Across the South East, there is currently a shortage of 820, leaving too many children without the local homes they need.
Without locally based foster carers, children can end up in foster homes outside of their local authority/trust area, far away from everything they know – family, friends, schools and clubs.
Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said: “Strong, supportive relationships are at the heart of fostering. They connect foster carers, children, families, and practitioners, creating a community that surrounds children with the care they need to thrive. But with more children entering care, we urgently need more people to step forward so every child can have the right home for their needs.
“There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ foster carer. The fostering community is made up of people from all walks of life-regardless of age, gender, relationship status, or sexual orientation. So, if you do one thing this Foster Care Fortnight, take a moment to find out more about fostering.”
Caroline Smith, KCC Assistant Direct for Corporate Parenting said: “Foster Care Fortnight is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on our amazing foster carers and the young people they care for.
“I would like to thank them all for their contributions and unwavering commitment to helping Kent’s young people feel safe, valued and loved and flourish in their communities.
“Fostering is an incredible way to make a positive and lasting difference to a young person’s life, and their carer’s. We are urgently seeking a diverse range of people to join our fostering community to give the young people we care for the chance to thrive in a safe and loving home. I would like to encourage anyone thinking about fostering to get in touch with our outstanding team for an informal chat to find out more.”
Foster carers are urgently needed to provide safe, nurturing homes - whether for a night, a few months, or several years.
To find out about fostering in Kent you can join the next Kent Fostering online Information Day Event on 17 May at 10am visit www.kentfostering.co.uk, call the team on 03000 420 002, or email kentfostering@kent.gov.uk
On average in the UK, a child comes into care in need of a foster family every 15 minutes.
The Fostering Network has estimated that across the UK around a third of foster care placements will be outside of a child’s LA/Trust boundary.
Around 68,000 children live with over 52,000 foster families across the UK. This is two thirds (66%) of the 104,358 children in care away from home on any one day in the UK.
Around 39,000 more children come into care over the course of 12 months, with similar numbers leaving the care system to return home, move in with another family member, live with new adoptive families, become subject to a special guardianship or residence order or move on to adult life.
Statistics taken from 2024 are the latest available figures.
England
56,390 children were living with foster families on 31 March 2024
This is 67 per cent of the 83,630 children in care looked after away from home.
There are around 42,615 foster families in England.
Northern Ireland
3,358 children were living with foster families on 31 March 2024.
This is 84 per cent of the 3,999 children in care looked after away from home.
There are approximately 2,893 foster families in Northern Ireland, and there is
always a need for more foster families.
Scotland
3,683 children were living with foster families on 31 July 2024.
This is over two thirds (68%) of the 5,430 children in care looked after away from
home and family.
There are approximately 2,998 approved fostering families in Scotland on 31
December 2023.
Wales
Around 4,875 children were living with foster families on 31 March 2024.
This is 68 per cent of the 7,200 children in care looked after away from home.
There are approximately 3,600 foster families in Wales.
