Fostering seen as a job ‘somebody else will do’

Almost 100 per cent of people believe fostering is vital to society, but only 20 per cent would consider becoming a foster carer, a survey of the general public has found.

The survey, which was conducted by Modus, a company that provides fostering services in the North West, also found that two-thirds of people believe fostering is a highly rewarding role.

But the majority of respondents said they had too little time, money, or not enough skills to cope with potentially difficult children.

Sue Hamilton, founder of Modus, said that while there are almost 45,000 foster families across the UK, around 10,000 more families are needed.

“Fewer and fewer people are coming forward to become foster parents — leaving a huge gap in the care we, as a society, can provide to our children and young people,” she said.

“This survey shows that while we all think that fostering is hugely important, we all think that it’s a job that somebody else will do.”

Hamilton added that becoming a foster carer is less difficult than most people think.

“While nobody is denying that fostering can be the most challenging job in the world, with the right training, support and providing you can care for a child in need, there is nothing stopping anyone being a good foster parent,” she said.