Cumbrian MP and Children and Families Minister Josh MacAlister has announced a major expansion of the government’s new model of children’s social care, aimed at keeping more children closer to home, backing foster families and cracking down on profiteering in the care system.
The reforms will see five new Regional Care Co-operatives confirmed across England, alongside four new Fostering Hubs going live before the end of the year. Together with existing pathfinders, the new Regional Care Co-operatives will cover more than 100 local authorities, giving councils greater collective control over the care market for the first time.
The aim is to reduce reliance on expensive, unsuitable placements, tackle poor-quality and unregistered provision, and make sure children in care are placed in homes and settings that meet their needs.
Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington and Minister for Children and Families, said:
“Children in care deserve the same things every child deserves: love, stability, safety and trusted adults who stick with them.
“That matters just as much in Cumbria as it does anywhere else. Too often, children are moved miles away from the people, schools and communities they know because the right support is not available closer to home.
“These reforms are about changing that. We are backing foster carers, giving local areas more control over the care market, cracking down on excessive profiteering, and putting children’s relationships at the heart of the system.
“Foster carers across Cumbria do extraordinary work for children and young people. This government is determined to make sure more families are supported to come forward, and that those already caring for children get the practical help and respect they deserve.”
The government is also opening applications for the £23.1 million Home Again programme, which will support children with the most complex needs through a single, co-ordinated plan bringing together social care, health, education and youth justice.
The programme is designed to help children who are experiencing, or at risk of, being deprived of their liberty, ensuring they receive tailored support instead of being placed in unsuitable or illegal settings.
Ministers are also expanding the Room Makers programme to all Fostering Hubs and Regional Care Co-operatives, providing financial support for foster carers who want to renovate or expand their homes so they can take on more children.
In addition, the Department for Education has launched a consultation on new simplified fostering standards, replacing a patchwork of existing guidance with a clearer, more human set of expectations focused on lasting relationships rather than bureaucracy.
The reforms form part of the government’s wider commitment to create 10,000 new foster placements this Parliament, helping more children grow up in loving, stable homes rather than residential care.
Further measures announced include new Fostering Innovation Fund projects to test fresh approaches to recruiting and supporting foster carers, new Enduring Relationships Learning Partner Authorities to build evidence on how children in care can maintain trusted relationships into adulthood, and a new NHS England mental health pilot for children with social care involvement and their families.
Josh MacAlister MP 