NEW data released by Essex County Council’s fostering service shows a 55% drop in the number of new foster carers joining the service each year compared to five years ago.
Essex County Council is calling on people in Essex to consider whether they could provide a safe and loving home for a child in their community. There are currently 492 foster carers across the county providing homes to children in need. However, new data indicates 10% of foster carers will retire in 2025. The council needs to recruit at least 60 new foster carers this year to prevent a shortfall in homes.
New estimates show there are over 55,000 households across Essex that match the profile of existing foster carers who are likely to foster and have a spare room. Foster carers come from all walks of life and many people don’t realise they could provide the perfect home for a child in need. Foster carers may have their own children living at home, can have pets, own or rent their homes, work full-time or part-time. Many people don’t realise the only requirements to apply are to be over the age of 21 and have a spare bedroom (to foster children over two years old).
With exceptional support, award winning training, competitive fees and a whole local community behind you – there has never been a better time to foster for Essex. Increased financial support means foster carers who start fostering in 2025 will receive a £2,000 welcome bonus. Foster carers’ fees have also risen 16% and are in line with inflation.
Laura, a foster carer from Heybridge, was inspired to start fostering five years ago after her friend began fostering and she heard the council was looking for more foster carers on the radio. At the time Laura’s two birth children were aged three and five-years-old. While she was initially worried about how her birth children would react, they took it in their stride and loved having other children around. Laura encourages others to explore fostering, she said:
“It is amazing to see the children we foster grow in confidence and have fun like they should be. One little boy who we fostered was quite vulnerable and really shy at the beginning. He’d had a rough start in life – as well as never sitting to eat as a family before, he’d also missed out on other significant parts of his childhood such as learning how to ride a bike or having stories before bedtime. After a few months of love and support from our family he transformed into a happy and confident little boy.
“I think lots of people across Essex don’t realise there are children desperately in need of a loving home living right in our neighbourhoods. To anyone thinking of fostering, I would say just go for it. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience for my whole family.”
Councillor Spence, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “We urgently need more people from across Essex to apply to become a foster carer. Currently, the number of new applications doesn’t equate to the number of carers retiring – leading to a shortfall in loving homes for children in need.
“My message for people across Essex is you have everything it takes to change a child’s life and shape their future. This year’s Foster Care Fortnight theme is the power of relationships, because at the heart of every fostering journey are the connections that make all the difference. There’s never been a better time to foster with Essex County Council. We’re looking for foster carers for children of all ages and we can help you find a fostering option that suits you
“Fostering is that rarity – a triple win. It improves a child’s quality of life through living with a family when they are sadly unable to live with their own. It enhances the life of the foster parent as I have learned at firsthand from fosters across Essex and, thirdly but importantly, it improvs the sustainability of our services and our ability to invest in all aspects of children’s care.”.”
Essex County Council fostering service is not for profit and only they see all of the children in care to make the best carer and child matches. The council urgently needs more foster carers to join so that every child in care can live in a family home.
If you’re interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer, you can visit the website, call Essex County Council’s friendly fostering team on 0800 801 530 or find an event near you.
