Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her department has made of the effectiveness of the Independent Fostering Agencies at improving the retention of experienced foster carers; and what steps she is taking to ensure that Regional Care Cooperatives and Local Authorities prioritise (a) adequate and transparent financial support (b) high‑quality training and (c) responsive post‑approval support.

The department’s fostering plan, published on 4 February, focuses predominantly on strengthening local authority fostering provision, which has seen the biggest decrease in foster carers in recent years. At the same time, we want to see an expansion of third sector provision, as well as learning from private providers who achieve good outcomes for children and how their best practice can be spread across the system. Our call for evidence explores options to improve financial transparency across local authorities and independent fostering agencies (IFAs).

Wider reforms will also mean that local authorities, working together as regional care co-operatives, can co-ordinate their approach to private provision more effectively. This will mean they can plan and purchase support from IFAs, using collective negotiation to improve value for local government, and ensure that care meets the needs of children.