New £1.1m support package approved for Portsmouth foster carers
Package aims to recruit and retain carers amid national fostering decline.
A £1.1m package of support for foster carers has been approved by Portsmouth City Council.
The package, approved by the cabinet member for children, families and education on Monday (June 16), updates the council’s Carers’ Fees and Allowances Policy for 2026/27.
The changes come amid mounting pressures on fostering nationally and locally. According to the report, there were 33,435 fostering households in England at the end of March 2025, representing a 10 per cent decline since 2021.
Mark Jowett, head of Children We Care For, said: “If we want our cared for children to grow up in stable nurturing family homes we need a fostering offer that is clear, fair and strong enough to support and retain carers.
He said that Portsmouth “is not immune” to national pressures as “we still struggle to recruit foster carers”.
“That has a consequence,” he added, stating that some foster children end up in homes not right for them, away from their communities or potentially separated from their siblings.
Among the proposals is the introduction of a new payment level for carers supporting children with complex histories through the council’s Therapeutic Fostering Hub.
The authority also plans to revise payments for Mockingbird Home Hub carers after feedback that existing arrangements created “an unintended disincentive”.
Other changes include clearer rules around support for school trips, driving lessons and Disability Living Allowance, alongside guidance on insurance responsibilities and additional payments for Afro-textured hair care.
The report estimates the changes will cost around £1.1m, which officers say will be met from within the existing approved portfolio cash limit.
Mr Jowett confirmed that carers will still be paid the national standard minimum allowance, as set out in statutory guidance.
Councillor Nick Dorrington, cabinet member for children, families and education thanked officers for the work put into the package.
“It gives me great joy that we’re constantly looking at this stuff and that we’re asking the questions of our foster carers.”
More information about the support package can be found in the report here and you can learn more about fostering on the council’s website.