Why Do Children Go Into Foster Care?

To be the best possible foster carer, it helps to understand why children come into care in the first place. The circumstances that bring a child into the foster care system are varied and often complex, but understanding them helps you approach your role with greater empathy, patience and skill.

How Many Children Are in Foster Care in the UK?

There are currently around 82,000 children in the care of local authorities across England alone, with tens of thousands more in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The demand for foster carers consistently outstrips supply, meaning every new carer who comes forward makes a genuine difference.

The Most Common Reasons Children Enter Foster Care

Children come into foster care for many reasons, but the most common include:

• Abuse — including physical, emotional, sexual or psychological abuse by a parent or carer

• Neglect — where a child’s basic physical or emotional needs are consistently not being met

• Parental mental health difficulties — where a parent is unable to care for their child due to mental illness

• Parental substance misuse — alcohol or drug dependency that affects a parent’s ability to care safely

• Domestic abuse — where the family home is not a safe environment due to violence or coercive control

• Parental illness or disability — where a parent is temporarily or permanently unable to care for their child

• Family breakdown — relationship breakdown, bereavement or family crisis

• Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children — young people who have arrived in the UK without a parent or guardian

What Happens When a Child Is Taken Into Care?

When a local authority has concerns about a child’s safety or welfare, Social Workers carry out an assessment. If it is determined that the child cannot safely remain at home, the local authority may apply to the court for an Emergency Protection Order or a Care Order, which gives them authority to remove the child from the family home.

In some cases, parents voluntarily agree to their child being placed in care. This is known as a Section 20 accommodation. In either case, once a child is in the care system, the local authority has a legal duty to find them a suitable placement as quickly as possible.

Do Children in Foster Care Stay in Touch with Their Birth Family?

In most cases, yes. Maintaining safe and appropriate contact with birth family members is considered an important part of a child’s wellbeing and identity. Contact arrangements are outlined in the child’s care plan and are managed by their Social Worker. As a foster carer, you will be expected to support this contact and help the child prepare for and process visits.

What Is the Long-Term Goal for Children in Care?

The primary goal of the care system is always to act in the best interests of the child. In practice, this might mean:

• Reunification with the birth family once it is safe to do so

• Placement with a kinship carer such as a grandparent or other relative

• Adoption for younger children where reunification is not possible

• Long-term foster care for children who cannot be adopted but need a stable home

• Supported independence for older teenagers preparing to leave care

  

What This Means for You as a Foster Carer

Understanding why children come into care helps you meet them where they are. Children who have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma may have complex emotional and behavioural needs, but with the right support, training and care, they can and do flourish. Your role as a foster carer is one of the most important interventions in a child’s life.