The government has launched a national campaign to recruit foster carers across England, as it seeks to create 10,000 additional foster-care places by the end of this Parliament.
The Department for Education announced the campaign on 14 October 2026, following an event at Downing Street the previous day attended by foster carers, frontline workers and people with experience of the care system.
Why ministers are seeking more foster carers
According to the department, the number of approved foster carers has fallen by 12% since 2019, while demand for care has increased. The campaign aims particularly to reach adults in their 30s and 40s who might be able to foster but have not previously considered it.
Department for Education polling found that 66% of respondents believed they could be good foster carers if practical barriers were removed. This is a measure of attitudes, not a forecast of how many people will apply or be approved.
How the £88 million fits into the plans
The campaign forms part of an existing £88 million fostering reform programme, including a £12.4 million Fostering Innovation Fund. The government says the fund will support trials of more flexible models, potentially including short-term respite care and weekend fostering.
The £88 million is not wholly new funding announced on 14 October. The wider package and the 10,000-place ambition were announced earlier in 2026. The government's February announcement said the £88 million would be repurposed from existing budgets; the fresh development is the launch of the national recruitment campaign.
What happens next?
Children's Minister Josh MacAlister said the government wanted to encourage people from different backgrounds and household circumstances to explore fostering. Ministers hope recruitment, changes to the rules and stronger support for carers will help address the shortage.
The target of 10,000 additional places applies to England and is an ambition for the end of this Parliament, not a count of places already delivered. The eventual number will depend on recruitment, assessment and retention of foster carers.
Sources
- Department for Education: National call to recruit more foster carers launched at Number 10 (14 October 2026)
- Department for Education: Pledge to get 10,000 vulnerable children into foster homes (4 February 2026)
- Department for Education: £12.4 million boost to modernise foster care (14 May 2026)
- Department for Education: Renewing fostering policy paper (4 February 2026)