Foster care applications drop in Suffolk as national crisis deepens

The big picture: Just 30 Suffolk households applied to provide foster care in the year to March, down from 45 before the pandemic, according to Ofsted data. Additional households may have applied through independent fostering agencies.

Why it matters: The decline means fewer stable homes for vulnerable children in the region, with experts warning this could force more young people into residential care or placements far from their communities.

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By the numbers:

• 195 Suffolk households enquired about fostering

• 30 submitted applications to the local authority

• 285 local authority-managed foster households currently in Suffolk

• 35 newly-approved households

• 8,500 applications received across England

What they're saying: "The fewer foster carers we have, the more children who may end up in residential care or in homes away from their families and friends," said Sarah Thomas, chief executive of The Fostering Network.

Behind the crisis: The cost-of-living crisis is deterring potential foster families, according to Action for Children. The charity says many households cannot afford the costs associated with caring for a child.

What's being done: The government announced a £44m package to support kinship and foster carers in the Autumn Budget. The money will help improve local authorities' access to regional fostering recruitment hubs.

Bottom line: As Suffolk and the rest of England grapple with dwindling foster care places, experts are calling for urgent government action to address what they describe as a "broken care system".