Our foster care system is facing a perfect storm. The number of children entering care continues to rise, but every year, we lose more foster carers in England than we gain. The number of foster carers has fallen by 12% since 2019.
England’s adoption system is experiencing significant strain. As of this December, 3,000 children with Placement Orders remain waiting to be matched with an adoptive family, with average waits exceeding twenty months.[1] Yet one longstanding barrier for self-employed adopters, who receive no statutory financial support, is