'Belong' initiative launched to recruit foster carers who can provide therapeutic support for children with trauma

A therapeutic fostering initiative has been launched to recruit foster parents with a professional background in care to reduce the number of children being rehomed miles from the city due to a lack of local carers.

Portsmouth City Council, which operates a dedicated foster service - Foster Portsmouth - has launched its ‘Belong’ scheme to provide a new way to give children the therapeutic support that they need after experiencing trauma, while keeping them connected with their local community.

The launch of ‘Belong’ comes due to a concerning decline in foster carers nationally despite a spike in the amount of children and young people in the care system.

To support the recruitment drive, The News launched its Fostering a Better Future campaign in August. The campaign has featured current foster careers who have shared real-life experiences, people who have been fostered and the different types of fostering to encourage more people to get involved.

The initiative is searching for prospective foster parents with professional experience of caring for children or adults. Whether this knowledge stems from working in care, as a teacher working in a school or in early years, a counsellor, social worker, youth support worker, or someone who has had a career in the emergency services, the council is welcoming applications. Previous and current foster carers looking to transfer would also be able to do so.

Figures from March 2025 outlined that there are an estimated 400 children in care in the city, with 232 fostering households working alongside Foster Portsmouth. Last year, there were a total of 33,435 foster homes in England, marking a 10 per cent drop since 2021.

The shortage of carers has resulted in significant strain on councils across the country, with many children from Portsmouth having to be placed miles away from the city due to the lack of local foster families.

Cllr Nicholas Dorrington, cabinet member for children, families and young people, said: "Right now, there are children we care for who are placed in accommodation miles away from Portsmouth, away from their community, school and friends.

"We want to keep children local, but to do this we need more people to come forward and become Foster Portsmouth carers. We have incredible foster carers who give a safe and loving home to children at an uncertain time in their lives. Through Belong we are looking for new foster carers who have the experience, skill and patience to emotionally support a child. This is a new professional role which is paid a professional fee."

Belong foster carers do not need to be trained therapists or have a background in therapy as the council’s fostering service will provide all of the specialist training, along with continued support.

The new role is a professional position which pays £1,000 per week when a child is in your care, with an approximate annual income of up to £52,000.

As well as Belong, other types of foster carers are urgently needed in Portsmouth and Hampshire.

To be an eligible foster carer you must:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have a legal right to work or live in the UK
• Possess a spare bedroom
• Pass a background check
• Live in the UK

Find out if now is the right time for you and your family to foster. Contact the friendly team by calling 023 9283 4071, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.foster.portsmouth.gov.uk/belong

To get involved in fostering in Hampshire, call 0300 131 2797 or email [email protected].