apscenttalksThe Times ran a regular “Homes Wanted” section, where West African parents placed adverts for children to be fostered in London. In the same way london fostering, the government is trying to encourage foster carers from ethnic minority groups in a bid to reduce a shortage of placements.
Navigating the Foster Care System in London: Tips for Success
But it’s a tricky task the children’s commissioner for England, recently warned that 71% of people who fill in a form to become a foster carer then drop out. The reasons vary, but she fears that bureaucracy is putting potential foster carers off and that ministers need to speed up the process.
On 31 March 2021, 80% of all newly approved foster carers were White, with 15% from non-White ethnic groups. However, the data also includes some households whose primary offer is family and friends care, where the ethnicity of the household has not been recorded.
Overall, allegations made against foster carers in 2020 to 2021 were very similar to previous years, with almost two thirds of all allegations relating to physical abuse. Allegations of sexual abuse remain the least common.
People can become a foster carer at any age, as long as they’re healthy and have a spare room. They’re usually supervised by an Ofsted-registered social worker. They’re paid a monthly allowance for the child or young person in their care, which can range from PS23,500 per year to up to PS450 a week depending on the local authority.