There seems to have been a burst of interest from families considering becoming foster carers. This is a great opportunity for foster care, but there are also risks, particularly for local authorities. Thread 1/

First, we need more foster families. The current situation is nowhere near as critical as some organisations suggest. But having a bigger choice of homes, offering different opportunities and skills, can only be good for children in care. 2/

#COVID19 has shifted families’ expectations dramatically. Many have lost their jobs and are worried about the future. Others are reassessing their life choices and priorities. Whatever their motivation, they are now looking at those foster care ads with renewed interest. 3/

What are the implications? LAs need to move fast to capitalise. This means having the resources to process a high level of enquiries in a meaningful way. I am not optimistic. 4/

I generalise, but LAs are terrible at responding to prospective foster carers by putting a welcoming arm around families. There’s a call centre culture which quickly snuffs out any interest. Follow-up calls often don’t happen for weeks, if at all. 5/

The moment when families contact a fostering service is often the culmination of a long period of reflection and inquiry. Yet so many families are received by LAs as if they were asking for information about the local amenity tip. 6/

This is where private/independent agencies score highly. Their ultimate goal may be to make money for their owners, but they convey a sense of worth and belonging. Their marketing is (mostly) slick. 7/

This is what I found at the top of my Google search for foster care: all independent agencies, and all but one for-profit. The internet is not everything, but it matters. 8/

There are also opportunities and risks in the assessment and approval of carers, particularly at a time when safe distancing creates new obstacles. LAs and agencies need to be robust as ever in selecting, training and supporting a new cohort of carers. 9/

I have seen unflattering comments about families considering foster care now their livelihoods are at risk or jobs have been lost. This is wrong and must be stamped out. 10/

Each fostering family makes its own journey, with its own reasons. The how’s and why’s are far less important than the commitment they are prepared to make and the experience they bring. 11/

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for foster care to renew and re-energise. For the sake of children and young people, we must not waste it. ends/