How Many Kids are in Foster Care?
The foster care situation in the United Kingdom could be termed an epidemic, owing to the growing number of children in need of foster care. Here is a statistical breakdown detailing how many kids are in foster care and what you can do to bridge the gap.
Every year, there is a shortage of foster families in the UK. Statistics show that much needs to be done if we are to solve this problem. We have compiled a statistical overview of the foster care situation in the UK.
How many children are in foster care in the UK?
Every year, there is a shortage of foster families in the UK. Statistics show that much needs to be done if we are to solve this problem. We have compiled a statistical overview of the foster care situation in the UK.
Using data from the Department of Education and Ofsted, we’ll share the specifics about the number of children in foster care and those needing foster care. Please take note that these are official figures detailing the number of children in foster care by March 2021.
England
England hosts 57,380 children in foster care. About 45,370 families in England take care of these children. As expected, there is still a deficiency of foster families every year in England.
Northern Ireland
We have 2,857 children in foster care in Northern Ireland. 3,530 families take care of these children, showing a ratio of one child per foster family. Just like in England, there is a need for more foster families in Northern Ireland.
Scotland
There are 4,500 children in foster care in Scotland with 3,540 families taking care of these children. Hundreds of families are needed to take care of the deficit of foster care in Scotland.
Wales
In Wales, there are about 5,070 children in foster care taken care of by approximately 3,800 foster families. Just like in other countries in the UK, more families are needed to fill the gap in the foster care system.
How many kids need foster care?
We’ve consistently mentioned that there is a need for loving homes to host more children in need of foster care. So, what is the deficit, and how can you fill it?
BBC estimates that the number of children in need of foster care in the UK could hit 100,000 by 2025. As it is, it shows a deficit of about 30,000 from the number of children in foster care.
On average, about 10,000 kids need foster care in the UK as we are speaking. These are children that are in residential care with no stable family support for them. You could be the bridge that gets this number to zero if you consider becoming a foster carer.
How can you help foster children?
Now that you know how severe the situation is in the UK, you can volunteer to become a foster carer. We’ve made the process of fostering quite simple; you need to be above 21 years and legally working in the UK to start your application process.
We have various options that suit your needs. The available types of fostering include:
- Short-term
- Long-term
- Emergency
- Respite
There are many other types of fostering that you can apply for. Get in touch with us today to initiate your fostering application process. Consider it as an inherent human responsibility given the huge gap between kids and foster families we’ve seen from the statistical information provided here.
