Across England the fostering sector is facing a recruitment and retention crisis. More foster carers are leaving than being replaced, and fewer people are coming forward. For children in care, that means longer waits, more moves between homes, and less stability. For agencies like ours, it raises urgent questions: What’s going wrong, and how can we do better?

Here’s what recent findings tell us- and how F5 Foster Care is translating them into action.

Key Trends Shaping the Crisis

1. Decline in Approved Foster Households.
   Although many people express interest in fostering, a lower number complete the process. Withdrawals during the application process are common. Those who are approved are not replacing those who resign or deregister, resulting in a net loss of carers each year.
2. Burnout and Poor Retention.
   Many foster carers cite lack of support, inconsistent communication, and feeling undervalued as reasons for leaving. Emotional fatigue, administrative burdens, or unclear expectations significantly contribute to carers stepping away.
3. Financial Pressure & Delays
   Delays in payments, confusing allowance structures, or low transparency around fees undermine trust. Carers report that finances often don’t match the effort required—especially when looking after children with more complex needs or caring for siblings.
4. iThere is a mismatch between the children needing foster homes and the backgrounds of available carers. Cultural sensitivity, diverse experiences, and inclusive messaging are still under-represented in many fostering agencies. Also, applicants from under-represented communities often report that assessment or messaging doesn’t reflect their culture or circumstances.
5. Process Friction & Long Approval Times
   Prospective carers sometimes abandon their interest because of slow, opaque, or inflexible processes. Initial contact is especially critical-if people don’t receive prompt, trustworthy information or feel supported at the outset, many never move forward.
   

What F5 Foster Care Is Doing Differently

We believe that meeting this shortage isn’t just about recruiting more carers-it’s about creating a system where carers want to stay. Based on what’s becoming clear from recent sector trends, here’s how F5 is stepping up:

• Generous, Transparent Financial Packages
  We pay £2,160/month per child (tax-free) with clear communication about what’s included. We ensure carers know exactly what they’ll receive—so there are no surprises or delays.
• Robust Support Structures
  From the first conversation, we pair you with a dedicated supervising social worker. We offer mentorship, memberships (e.g. FosterTalk), well-being supports, and peer networks so carers are not doing this alone.
• Welcoming Returning & Deregistered Carers
  We recognise that people’s circumstances change. Carers who left (for personal, health, or other reasons) are welcomed back. We help with updated checks and re-training where needed, making the return process smoother.
• Inclusive, Culturally Sensitive Recruitment & Matching
  F5 Foster Care is making sure that our messaging, recruitment events, and assessment processes are inclusive. We aim to recruit carers who reflect the demographics of the children needing care-ensuring better matching, understanding, and outcomes.
• Speed, Clarity & Accessibility of Process
  We strive to reduce delays in assessments, ensure honest and clear expectations from the beginning, and make the journey to approval flexible-especially for people working, returning to fostering, or with complex schedules.

Why This Matters

• For Children: Stability and belonging hugely matter. Less turnover, fewer moves, placements closer to home-they all contribute to better educational, emotional, and social outcomes.
• For Foster Carers: Feeling valued, supported and financially secure helps reduce burnout and increases your confidence. You do one of the hardest jobs out there; you deserve to be rewarded and respected.
• For the Community & System: Strong retention means fewer emergency placements, fewer children separated from siblings, and a more resilient fostering system that can be responsive, local, and rooted.

What We Need Now

To turn the tide, it’s not just up to fostering agencies-it requires collaboration:

• Continued investment in foster carer allowances to match rising costs of living.
• Public awareness campaigns that show the real, full, honest picture of fostering-not just the highs, but also the support provided.
• Stronger policy frameworks that ensure carers have rights, supports, and sane, consistent payment/fee structures.
• More regional collaboration so that carers are matched to children in their own communities wherever possible.

If You’re Considering Fostering (or Coming Back)

If this sounds like work you want to do-or do again-here’s what you can do:

• Reach out to the team at F5 Foster Care for a no-obligation chat.

Contact F5 Foster Care today and speak to Zulekha Ali about restarting your fostering journey.

At F5 Foster Care, we believe fostering is more than a service-it’s a commitment to changing lives. If you value compassion, clarity, and impact, we’d welcome you to join us.