Fostering can have a monumental long-term effect on the lives of children.
Foster care exists to provide those who don’t or can’t live with their parents with a safe, stable, and supportive environment which helps them to flourish. Growing up in this kind of nurturing environment can have a significant positive impact.
A stable home
The stability and safety of a consistent home environment provides the structure kids need to feel loved and supported. By having a “home base” which they know they can rely on, kids have the chance to develop and find confidence within themselves.
Emotional growth
By rooting themselves with a foster family, a child can begin to tackle and overcome past traumas, while also having a solid foundation through which to grow and develop on their own.
Building family connections
Strong familial relationships aren’t exclusive to blood relatives. A foster family gives a child the chance to build ties which could, and hopefully will, last a lifetime. Even if they move away from this new home, having this kind of close contact can be transformative for their inner self worth.
Social development
Humans are by our nature very social creatures. The positive exposure of living with a foster family can help nurture this aspect of a child’s personality, helping to teach them critical skills which will see them flourish later in life.
But what does this journey look like for the average child in foster care?
Designed to give you a deeper understanding of foster care’s influence, this guide explores 40 key statistics about the impact of fostering. We’ll look at everything from its role in shaping young lives and building stronger families, to its economic and societal effects. We’ll also assess the current state of fostering in the UK.
Whether you’re a foster carer, advocate, or simply curious, read on to discover the data and insights you need to feel informed and inspired.
There are more than 80,000 kids in the foster care system in England alone
According to some of the most recent figures, there are estimated to be as many as 83,840 children in foster care in England. That’s a 2% growth on the previous figures. The number of children who entered the foster system at some point during the year also rose by 6%.
There are more than 100,000 kids in the system across the UK
Across the United Kingdom as a whole, a total of 104,368 children were registered to foster families.
In total, 69,877 children live with 52,300 fostering households across the UK. Each of these homes is providing a stable support system for the kids in their care.
The total breakdown by each of the home nations was:
83,630
England
9,531
Scotland
7,208
Wales
3,999
Northern Ireland
Care provides an escape from dangerous or abusive situations for kids
While we’d all love for as many children as possible to remain with their parents or legal guardians, the foster system itself does a lot of good for these kids.
Without foster homes providing an escape from these situations, children across the country would continue to be exposed to harmful living environments.
Some of the most common reasons that children enter the system are:
Children in foster care feel safer than in other forms of care
It’s encouraging that many children feel that foster care provides them a high level of safety. A recent survey carried out by Ofsted found that 99% of kids living in foster care said they are more likely to always feel safe, when compared to other types of care systems. Children’s homes also received fairly positive responses, with 95% of kids saying they always felt safe in them as well.
Children in foster care get on well with the adults in their home
Part of the reason why kids feel so safe in foster homes is the dynamic which they have with the adults who they live with. 97% of kids in foster care said they get on well with the adults in their home either “always” or “most of the time”. This was higher than any of the other groups of children living in some kind of social care (such as children’s home, boarding schools, residential special schools, and further education colleges).
Getting on with other kids is not always a guarantee, but is common
The same was true again for kids in foster care when it came to how well they got on with other kids in the home. While this dropped to 90% for those in foster care, it was still higher than all others once again. The next closest were boarding schools (88%), further education colleges (81%), and residential schools (80%).
Foster children also feel listened to and seen by their carers
Once again, children in foster care also beat out all other categories when it came to feeling listened to by the adults they live with. As many as 97% of them said they felt like their opinions were heard and taken on board. This was much higher than the general average of 89%. Residential schools were the next closest, with 91% of kids saying they felt listened to.
97% of them said they felt like their opinions were heard and taken on board.
Where possible, some children are returning home after a spell in care
While foster homes are designed to provide a stable and supportive environment for kids, they’re not intended to be a permanent home. The ultimate aim of the system is to see kids either return home, move on to independent living, or get adopted by a new permanent family.
The latest figures show these to be the most common reasons children left care across the past year:
17%
Returning home
(of all children in foster care)
12%
Moving into
independent living
12%
Special guardianship orders
(where the child is appointed a special guardian)
9%
Being adopted
More children require fostering today than a decade ago
Eight percent more children need care today than they did in 2014. While that sounds alarming, the encouraging flip side is that 10% more children are also leaving the system on an annual basis than they did in 2014. While the need for additional resources is apparent, the foster care system is continuing to serve children all across the UK.
Teenagers are the most common age group of children in care
A huge chunk of the kids currently in the system are teenagers. In fact, reports suggest that as many as 64% of those in a foster home are aged at least 10 years and above. The wider breakdown shows that 26% of kids are aged 16 and above, while those between 10-15 represent 38% of kids in care. Just 5% of children in foster homes are below the age of one.
Children in the regular care system are less likely to go on to higher education
While the numbers are encouraging for kids in a lot of ways, there are still gaps in the system which need to be addressed. Perhaps most pressing are figures around children in foster care moving into higher education once school finishes. Some reports suggest that only 6% of kids who’ve been in foster care will transition to higher education courses.
Only 6% of kids who’ve been in foster care will transition to higher education courses
There’s still a gap between looked after children and those not in any form of care
The impact between university place acceptance was seen most on the higher tariff institutions with tougher entry requirements. During the 2021-22 academic year, Civitas found that just 90 care leavers under the age of 19 attended one of the top 32 universities in the UK. Their numbers showed a slightly more encouraging number of children from care in wider higher education – with 14% of kids progressing. However, this was still far behind the national average for children not in care, which sat at 47%.
For graduates, there is only a very slight gap between leaving university and finding employment
While some reports suggest there are gaps between the number of children in care entering higher education when compared to children raised at home, employment rates have not been affected by this trend. 60.9% of care‑experienced graduates were in work six months after graduation, compared to 66.6% of peers who had not been in the care system at any point.
60.9% of care‑experienced graduates were in work six months after graduation
A majority of children in foster care experience stable placements
Ensuring a stable home is a key goal in foster care, and new data shows positive progress. According to a March 2024 study, 69% of children in English homes had a single, consistent placement throughout the year. However, there is still work to be done, with the data showing that 21% of children had two placements, and as many as 10% experienced three or more within a 12-month period.
Most people foster to make a difference in a child’s life
The good news is that many people in the UK still have a strong desire to foster. There are a host of motivators when it comes to taking the leap and welcoming a child into the home. The Fostering Network found that the three main reasons why people want to step into this role are:
89%
want to make a difference to the lives of children in care
65%
want to offer children the chance to be part of their family
58%
enjoy working with children
Finance is the main barrier to fostering
Despite this desire, there are still hurdles for would-be foster parents. The main issue a lot of people face is the financial responsibility of welcoming a new child into the home. The same survey found that 49%¹ of people cited this as the biggest issue faced when becoming a foster carer. The issues surrounded both the initial cost of bringing a child into the home, as well as a lack of ongoing financial support.
49%¹ of people cited cost as the biggest issue faced when becoming a foster carer.
Perceptions and space are also significant barriers
The next biggest barrier was the perception of what it means to be a foster parent, with 39%¹ of people saying media stereotypes had negatively impacted their belief that they could be a suitable fit for a fostering role. 31%¹ also said a lack of existing space in their home was a major issue. This was a more common response amongst people who were already parents with other kids at home.
Information sharing while matching is getting tougher for foster carers
In order for a child to feel like they’re in a safe and stable home, it’s important they’re matched up with a carer who meets their needs – both in terms of care requirements, and how long they can provide a space for them. One area of concern for a lot of foster parents is a breakdown in information sharing before, during and immediately after this stage.
Just half of respondents in the Fostering Network survey said that they get the necessary information to properly care for the child they’ve been matched with, while just 56%¹ of the fostering services themselves said they receive all the information from social workers to make a rounded and informed decision.
Foster carers don’t always feel treated with respect by other members of the community
Despite the wonderful job they’re doing, some foster parents feel like they’re not treated as an equal member of the team around the child. The Fostering Network found that just 53%¹ of foster carers felt respected by a child’s social worker. It was slightly better in the case of independent reviewing officers (66%), education professionals (70%), and their own supervising social worker (76%). Healthcare professionals by contrast treated them well in 80%¹ of cases.
53%
of foster carers felt respected by a child’s social worker
66%
of foster carers felt respected by the independent reviewing officer for their case
70%
of foster carers felt respected by education professionals involved with the child
76%
of foster carers felt respected by their supervising social worker
Half of foster carers want to see a national register created to make fostering easier
There have been calls in recent years for a national register of foster parents to be created. This list would make it easier to place children in the right homes, while also ensuring a high standard of care is made part of the prerequisites to becoming a foster carer. 49%¹ of current foster parents support the idea, while 22% remain neutral. 19% would like more information to help make an informed decision, and 11% currently oppose the idea.
Most foster carers think the support they receive is excellent
In more positive news, a lot of foster parents think the support they get from certain channels is either “excellent” or “good”. Their supervising social worker was where the best response was recorded with 74%¹ of carers being ecstatic with the help they get from them. 69% also said that the support they receive from other carers was also brilliant, while 53% also said support groups were a massive safety net.
74%
of carers said they were ecstatic with the help they get
69%
said that the support they receive from other carers was also brilliant
53%
said support groups were a massive safety net
Fees to cover living costs are seen as not enough
The fees to cover the cost of fostering a child are falling short, according to nearly three quarters of all foster parents. 73%¹ said the cost of living has had a direct impact on their ability to manage the associated costs of having a foster child in the home. 66% would also say that they don’t receive a retainer fee if no foster child is living with them – making it harder to remain in the system.
People want to see a national fee framework
Two thirds of foster carers (65%)¹ and fostering services (64%) want a national fee framework to be applied across the fostering sector as a whole. Currently, there is no centralised legislation for the allotment of fees to foster carers. This is something which is decided by each individual fostering service itself. An introduction of this more black-and-white framework would make planning for the costs of care easier for parents.
Currently, there is no centralised legislation for the allotment of fees to foster carers.
More than half of foster parents maintain a relationship into their foster child’s adulthood
The longstanding impact of fostering is perhaps best shown by the number of parents who maintain regular contact with a child into adulthood. The same survey found that 53%¹ of carers kept in touch after their child reached 18. In total, 48% would say that they either “regularly” or “usually” spoke to their former foster child.
Challenges have resulted in a shortage of foster carers
Despite the clear desire to foster and the close bond between parents and children, the system is in the midst of a carer shortage. The total number of carers with approved mainstream foster homes saw a drop of 40%¹ year-on-year. The main triggers for this were a lack of support for carers (with 54% of respondents saying this), a lack of respect from other professionals in the support services (54%), and burnout related to fostering (53%).
More than half of carers are thinking about resigning from fostering
Unfortunately, this has resulted in 60%¹ of foster carers saying that they are considering resigning from the service. 14% of these are currently still weighing up their options, and could drop off at any point across the next year – heightening the shortage.
60%
of foster carers saying that they are considering resigning
14%
of these are currently still weighing up their options
Foster care numbers are falling
In total, there has been nearly a 10% drop in the total number of foster carers since 2021. As of 31 March 2024, there were 33,745 approved non-kinship foster households (homes where the foster parents were not a relative or close friend of the child’s biological parent). This is a dip of 3.6% from 2023.
The impact of fostering on children is one of the three most successful factors for carers
If anything can bring more foster parents to the system, it’s shouting about the impact and tangible difference which their efforts might produce. When the Fostering Network¹ surveyed existing carers to decide what the main thing that was working well within the current system was, they found the top three responses to be:
21%
Positive relationships with social workers
13%
The wider foster care community
9%
The impact of fostering on young children
The support for carers is the most effective aspect in the eyes of fostering services
They also asked fostering services what they thought was working best right now. Interestingly, they gave a much more encouraging response when it came to the impact on the kids themselves. Their top three successes for the current system were:
Increased funding is expected to help make the job easier for foster carers
With financial factors clearly standing out as a major pain point for a lot of current and prospective foster parents, more is being done to help fund their efforts. Community Care report that councils are currently planning to inject £15.5bn into children’s social care in the 2025-26 tax year. That’s an increase of £1bn (7.1%) from 2024-2025. This is also higher than the national average for local government increases, which sits at 6.3% year-on-year.
Community Care report that councils are currently planning to inject £15.5bn into children’s social care in the 2025-26 tax year.
More than half a billion pounds has been allocated to help multidisciplinary family help teams
Some families have multiple needs that need to be serviced in order to ensure children are getting the level of care they need. £523m is being used between 2025 and 2028 to support the introduction of multidisciplinary teams. Their aim is to make it easier for families who receive targeted early help, child in need and child protection services with a consistent lead practitioner.
Over 70% of looked-after children in England are white — highlighting an ethnic disparity
There’s currently a wide gulf in the ethnic background of children in the foster care system. This is particularly true in England, where the numbers show:
Source: CoramBaaf
Kinship care in the UK has benefited from a £44m investment
Kinship care is the process of placing a child with a member of their existing family, or someone who was or is a very close friend of their biological parent. This alternative system gives kids the chance to stay with someone who they already know, trust, and feel more safe with. While this isn’t always a viable option, it’s a good alternative when possible. New Government funding will see £44m invested to support foster carers who are offering kinship care.
Placement stability helps to promote a feeling of belonging and security
Staying in one location for a long period of time makes it a lot easier for a foster child to feel safe and supported. With that in mind, it’s quite encouraging that high placement instability fell in 2024 to just 10% of UK foster homes. High social worker instability was much higher, however, sitting at 27% of all professionals in the field.
Same-sex couples are now adopting children at a higher frequency
Changing social attitudes are having a positive impact in more ways than one. More LGBTQ+ couples are adopting children than ever before. Statistics now show that one in five adoptions in the UK were made by same-gender couples. This increase in adoption rates will inherently put less strain on the foster system, and provide children all across the country with a higher chance of being welcomed into a new family.
One in five adoptions in the UK were made by same-gender couples.
Most kids in foster care get to spend time with the people who are important to them
Breaking something of an age-old myth, data also shows that a life in foster care does not mean you’re taken away from the people who matter most to you. Ofsted found that 76% of children in foster care either always or usually found the time to spend with the people who are the most important in their lives.
Just 3% never see the people they care about the most
While it’s 3%² more than would be ideal, this very small percentage of children who feel like they’ve been separated from the people that matter most speaks volumes about the amazing work that the people in the fostering system are doing for kids all across the country.
Foster kids are definitely having fun
The Ofsted report also showed that 96%² of kids in foster care said they had fun at some point within the last week, at the time they were asked. This was a higher response than for any of the other cared for children who were asked.
9,740 children are being protected by The Promise
In Scotland, a new initiative is being introduced to ensure that all children grow up feeling loved, cared for, and safe. Called “ The Promise”, it serves as an independent care review, which will strive to ensure that everything is being done between now and 2030 to guarantee that every child is given a happy start in life. As of right now, 9,740 children are in foster care in Scotland.
As of right now, 9,740 children are in foster care in Scotland.
The number of safe homes for children is on the rise in England
Encouraging figures show that in the year ending March 31st 2025, the number of children’s homes of all types rose by 15%. That took the total number to 4,010. As more is being done to raise the awareness of the needs of foster children in the UK, hopes are for these positive figures to keep moving in the right direction.
4,010
total number of safe homes for children England
The Most Effective Impact Is One That Lasts a Lifetime
Schemes like the promise are all part of the continued effort to keep vulnerable children in safe homes, where they can feel loved. This ultimate ambition is why foster care has, and will continue to be a staple part of the childcare system in the UK heading forwards.
At Compass Fostering, our goal is to provide a positive childhood for every young person in our care. We want to make lifelong differences in children’s lives, with the goal of either reuniting them with their families, or, if that isn’t possible, keeping them in a safe and loving environment which will help them thrive into adulthood.
Are you thinking about becoming a foster parent?
If you or someone you know are considering making this noble commitment, be sure to check out this range of informative and educational secondary resources.
Understanding your fostering allowance
The full fostering process from start to finish
The official foster parent subreddit
Foster care training and guidance
Find out if your local area is in need of additional foster carers
Citations
