Why is the number of children in care increasing?

There is an increase in the number of children in care across Britain, which has led to an increased need for foster care services and a strain on council budgets.

This is also driven by factors relating to the home environment, support networks and the cost of living.

Beacon Fostering seeks to provide children with the best start in life despite their backgrounds and circumstances, and this article will explore why there has been an increase in the number of children in care in recent years.

Council cuts and cost of living

The cuts that councils are facing in delivering their services, as well as the cost of living crisis, have contributed to more children entering the care system than ever before.

Reduction in funding for councils has led local authorities to have to intervene the moment something is wrong, rather than take preventative measures to keep children safe and families together.

Additionally, financial struggles brought on by austerity and inflation means that families face more worry and stress. This in turn affects the ability of parents to provide essentials such as education, food, clothes and transport for their children, and these lead to lower quality living conditions for them. As a result, these children often end up in care.

Solutions

With all this in mind, it can be seen that the challenges that face local authorities and their families are being solved in a way that focuses on the limited authority budgets, rather than the needs of families. The councils can do this by reforming and restructuring support services, co-operating with families and giving them much-needed support when problems first arise, without judgement.