The new figures come as the country faces a shortage of foster carers

Hampshire County Council has said ‘detailed work’ is under way to ensure foster carers receive the support they need amid ‘administrative challenges’.

An annual fostering report, published by Hampshire County Council on September 30, revealed the overall number of foster households remained unchanged during 2025/26, despite the departure of 29 carers.

The report disclosed that 16 carers resigned due to changes in their personal circumstances, while six foster households retired from fostering and two carers left due to being dissatisfied with the service.

placeholder image — Photo credit: Stock.adobe

These figures come amid a national shortage of foster carers, with an average of 10 per cent leaving the sector since 2021 despite the continued rise in the number of children entering the care system. In response to the crisis, The News launched its ‘Fostering a Better Future’ campaign in August to support the recruitment of more foster parents across Portsmouth and Hampshire.

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “It is usual to see some carers resign each year due to changes in their personal circumstances which mean they are no longer able to foster. That is why we are always working to recruit and train new carers, but also to prioritise the experiences of our existing carers and ensure they feel fully supported and able to continue in this incredible role.

“We do this in a number of ways, including through our Family Fun Days, generous allowances, overnight respite, regular communications via email and a dedicated Facebook group, and continued support from a supervising social worker. Our ‘Hampshire Hives’ provide a network of support groups for foster carers across different parts of the county, while ongoing training enables carers to continue meeting children’s needs with confidence.”

The county council report also quizzed fostering households to determine how satisfied they have been with the support on offer from their supervising social worker over the past year. The outcome highlighted that 73 per cent of respondents felt satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the support, demonstrating a decrease from the 81 per cent the year prior.

A 12 per cent decrease was also noted in the number of carers that felt satisfied or very satisfied with the social workers of the children placed with them. The council said work is already “under way” to amend issues that have impacted the service.

The Hampshire County Council spokesperson added: “While we know there have been some administrative challenges that have impacted on carer satisfaction in a small number of areas, detailed work is already underway to address these. We will continue to listen to our foster carers and use their feedback to help us improve their experiences.

“All children deserve to grow up in a safe and loving environment. Being in foster care ensures that children who are unable to stay with their own family for whatever reason, can be nurtured and have the same stability and opportunities as their peers. As foster carers come and go, we will always need new people to come forward and take on this remarkable, rewarding role. We encourage anyone looking to make a difference and give something back to their local community to get in touch with our friendly fostering team to find out more: contact us | Health and social care | Hampshire County Council”

To be an eligible foster carer you must: