Commenting on the launch of the Fostering Innovation Fund, Dr Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive of Foundations, said:
“Foster care provides safety, stability, and belonging for children when they cannot stay within their own families, and foster carers provide the care that means more children can experience the loving relationships they need to flourish.
“Today’s launch of the new £12.4m Fostering Innovation Fund marks a further positive step toward identifying how we can ensure there are enough foster carers to provide stable, loving homes to children.
“We support the Government’s ambition in the recent fostering action plan to increase the number and diversity of foster carers; the emphasis on evidence, evaluation and innovation in the plan is particularly welcome.
“For our part, Foundations is today launching the new Foster Care Practice Guide, commissioned by the Department for Education. The Guide provides local leaders with evidence-based guidance on the kind of support that makes a real difference to foster families and is a timely contribution to informing future evidence generation.
“While the fostering system currently faces many challenges, the renewed focus on building the evidence base presents a great opportunity to strengthen fostering, and ensure all children have the foundational relationships they need to thrive.”
The new Foster Care Practice Guide can be found here.