Hampshire County Council has joined 19 other councils in the South East to form the country’s largest local authority fostering partnership, in a bid to increase the number of foster carers across the region.

With over 11,000 children in care across the South East, and fewer than 3,000 local authority approved foster carers, there is an urgent need to find more people to provide safe, loving, and local homes for vulnerable children.

Launching today (8 July), Local Authority Fostering South East is a new virtual fostering hub funded by the Department for Education, bringing together the expertise of 20 councils across the region. The largest of nine such partnerships nationally, the new hub will ensure prospective foster carers have access to a central place for their initial enquiries about fostering and will see local authorities work collaboratively to provide the best support, right from the start of a carer’s fostering journey.

Councillor Roz Chadd, the County Council’s Cabinet Lead Member for Children’s Services, said: “The growing demand on children’s social care has been well documented nationally, and Hampshire is no different. While we have worked hard to find new foster carers in the county, another child comes into care in Hampshire every 12 hours. This means that we will always need more foster carers – particularly as existing carers retire, or their circumstances change.

“We are always exploring new ways to improve and innovate, to ensure that we continue to deliver positive outcomes for our county’s most vulnerable children. This new partnership represents an important opportunity to further this work, enabling us to reach a wider number of prospective carers and benefit from the valuable insights of our neighbours across the region.

“If you care about making a difference in your local community and have a room to spare, please consider fostering and get in touch with the Hub’s friendly recruitment team on 0300 131 2797 to find out more.”

The new regional hub is also set to launch a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the unique role of fostering and encourage more people to take the next step and become a foster carer with their local council. In doing so, they will benefit from comprehensive local training, generous financial assistance, and ongoing support from a non-profit organisation.

Natasha Sampson, South East Regional Strategic Lead, said: “This is a really exciting time for fostering. For the first time in the South East, we are leveraging the collective skills, knowledge, resources and support of 20 local authorities to ensure children and young people have a stable home, in a loving family, which they all deserve.

“The new hub will make this possible by increasing the number of local foster carers and making sure they are well supported through their recruitment journey and beyond.

“I would urge anyone interested in fostering to get in touch with us and find out more about becoming a foster carer with your local authority.”

Prospective foster carers will also benefit from a new fostering ambassador scheme, enabling them to speak to an existing carer to find out what this life-changing role is really like.

Anyone aged over 21 and from all walks of life can become a foster carer. The only requirement is a spare room – and of course, plenty of patience, resilience, open-mindedness and positivity. There are many different types of arrangements available, from full-time fostering to more flexible options that fit around home and work-life commitments.

More information on becoming a foster carer can be found on Local Authority Fostering South East’s new website and its social media channels: Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Prospective carers can also contact the regional hub directly to speak to a member of the recruitment team by calling 0300 131 2797.

To contact Hampshire County Council’s fostering service directly, call 01489 587052 or email fostering@hants.gov.uk.