Last week, the government released its accredited official statistics for Fostering in England from the 1st of April 2024 to the 31st of March 2025.
These statistics help to paint a picture of what fostering looks like in 2024-2025, and offer insights into the current state of fostering in England.
Where Does the Data Come From?
The findings are based on fostering agency responses to Ofsted’s annual fostering data collection, and as such, include data about fostering households and foster carers, plus statistics about retention and recruitment.
This year, Ofsted received responses from 465 fostering agencies, which comprised 147 local authorities (LAs) and 318 Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs).
Mainstream Fostering Vs Kinship Care
Before looking at the Fostering in England Statistics, it’s important to understand the difference between mainstream fostering and kinship care.
Mainstream Fostering
This is what most people think of when we talk about fostering. Mainstream fostering is when an approved foster carer - who is unrelated to a child - takes him or her into their home and cares for them under formal fostering arrangements through an IFA or LA.
Kinship Care
Kinship care is when a child is placed with family members or close family friends. There are different types of kinship care, including informal kinship care, which is arranged without the involvement of social services and may be a temporary measure. For example, a child going to live with grandparents for a fixed period.
The kind of kinship care discussed in these main findings, however, is known as Formal Kinship Care (sometimes also called ‘Family and Friends Foster Care’, in which a relative or close family friend is formally assessed and approved as a foster carer.
What Were the Main Findings?
The statistics have been summarised into several key findings.
Decline in Fostering Households but Increase in Approvals
The data shows that the overall number of mainstream fostering placements continues to decline, although the rate of decline is slowing compared to the 2023-2024 figures. However, the number of newly approved fostering households is on the increase.
Increase in Mainstream IFA Households
The figures show a slight increase in the number of mainstream fostering households registered with IFAs. However, due to the declining number of mainstream fostering households with LAs, this figure isn’t enough to offset the overall decline.
Short Break Placements on the Rise
This data release shows that the number of fostering placements used exclusively for short breaks has risen. Across 2024-2025, a reported 1,765 fostering households were used for short breaks only, which is a 41% increase since 2021.
Kinship Care Unchanged
Formal kinship care arrangements remain largely consistent, with only a slight decline in the number of newly approved kinship care households this year.
What Do These Statistics Tell Us?
The Main Findings clearly show a decline in overall fostering households, and while the reasons for this are likely many and varied, we can look to the statistics themselves for clues. In the ‘Joiners and Leavers’ section of these findings, we learn that:
‘Although the number of mainstream households leaving continues to exceed those joining, the net change is smaller than in the previous year.’ (Ofsted, 2025).
It’s important to acknowledge that it’s normal for households to stop fostering and for foster carers to move on. In fact, the statistics show that approximately a third of mainstream foster carers are now over the age of 60. It’s only natural that each year a proportion of fostering households are likely to deregister as they retire and/or move into a new phase of life, for example, caring for grandchildren or downsizing their home.
In terms of kinship care arrangements, these account for around a fifth of all fostering placements, and again, while the statistics show a slight decline this year, it’s crucial to recognise that, unlike other fostering households, these placements are in direct correlation to their need, and as such a high turnover is to be expected.
That is to say, that it’s entirely normal for there to be year-on-year changes to the number of active kinship placements, because these households enter and leave the ‘fostering workforce’ based on the needs of a specific child or children. This means that figures relating to the deregistration of kinship carers aren’t indicative of wider issues around foster carers choosing to step away from fostering.
Each year, a number of potential foster carers submit applications to local authorities and independent fostering agencies, only to later withdraw them before completing the assessment process. In these findings, it’s noted that the most common reasons applicants gave for withdrawing were:
- A change in household circumstances but NOT financial (36%)
- The fostering process not being what they’d expected (20%)
Meanwhile, 35% of applicants didn’t specify a reason for withdrawing.
These statistics go some way to assuage fears that the recent Cost of Living Crisis in the UK might still be putting would-be foster carers off, although it must be acknowledged that the reasons given are those that applicants are willing to share, so may not necessarily paint an accurate picture of why they have chosen not to go ahead with their initial decision to foster.
Overall, while these statistics do still demonstrate a shortfall in foster carers, the slowing rate of decline might offer some reason to hope.
Orr Medical - Supporting Fostering Agencies and Local Authorities
At Orr Medical, we work closely with our clients throughout the UK, providing GP-led fostering medical assessments and medical advisor services.
We understand the ongoing challenges faced by many IFAs and LAs in recruiting and retaining high-quality fostering placements for children in need, and we pride ourselves on offering thorough and efficient services, helping the fostering assessment process run smoothly and without delay.
To find out more about our services or about working with us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or call us on 01772 915861. We look forward to hearing from you.