Call on all municipalities to recruit more informal caregivers

A councilor in Medway has urged local authorities across the UK to increase the number of foster carers.

Adam Price, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for children’s services, thanked the “brilliant foster carers” in his area, but added that “all councils need to recruit more”.

“Every child and young person in Medway deserves a safe and caring family,” he continued, calling local foster homes the “best chance” for those in need to thrive.

His comments come after the release of a new film – titled Everything – about the promotion by more than 100 municipalities.

Project director Rachel Brown said the main message of the film, which follows the journey of foster carer Mike and his family, was to show how common it was for relationships created through foster care to last much longer than the ‘official’ caring role .

“This has a huge impact on the lives of those in care, providing them with stability and security well into adulthood,” she said.

Mr Price said he hoped the film would help people in the community learn more about foster care and how rewarding the role can be.

The Promotion Foundation said in February 2024 that 6,000 new foster families are now needed in England, due to a rise in the number of children in care.

They cited rising costs and changing professions after the pandemic as partial reasons behind the shortage.