The News launches campaign to support recruitment of foster carers in the wake of concerning decline

The Portsmouth News is launching a campaign ‘Fostering a Better Future’ to support the drive for more foster carers as the country faces a concerning decline in people coming forward.

The fostering landscape across the country is constantly evolving, with a national shortage of foster carers prompting a new government funding package and series of campaigns aimed at encouraging more people getting involved.

In Portsmouth and the surrounding area there are hundreds of children in care, many of whom would flourish if offered a loving home, even if only temporarily.

Over the coming weeks, the campaign will provide readers with practical information about fostering, explaining who can become a foster carer, the different types of fostering available, the support on offer, and how foster families help provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for local children.

Since 2021, the number of foster carers has fallen by 10 per cent, with a lack of space, financial pressures, burnout and misconceptions contributing to the decline.

There were approximately 232 fostering households in Portsmouth as of March 2025, all of whom work alongside the city council's dedicated fostering service, Foster Portsmouth.

A spokesperson for Portsmouth City Council added: "Our amazing community of Portsmouth foster carers help to give local children a supportive and loving home, and we provide them with ongoing training, allowances and professional support. Portsmouth, like many areas of the country, is in need of new foster carers to help support local children of all ages."

Across Hampshire as a whole, there are around 1,700 children in care, including an estimated 400 in Portsmouth alone.

The News will also speak to foster carers from across the city, sharing their experiences of caring for children on both short and long-term placements and highlighting the lasting difference fostering can make to a young person's life.

Jo Austin is one of many foster carers in the city making a difference to the lives of young people. Over the course of 14 years, the fostering ambassador for Portsmouth and the south east, has cared for 25 young people and she has urged people to get involved saying “it has changed my world”.

She continued: “In comparison to a lot of local authorities, Portsmouth is very small in comparison with others across the country but I joke that we are small but mighty. Those who are in Portsmouth, the admin staff, the social workers, the foster carers, everyone is just a really cohesive team, really collaborative.

“The big reason there are fewer fosterers now is the cost of living crisis. A lot of people can’t afford to give up their wages. There is of course an allowance for fostering, for the child and the carer, but there is a lot of outlay too.

“For those with questions come and speak to foster careers, let them tell you. Hear it from them. They have got the knowledge, they have got the experience, they want to share it with you and they’d love to talk to you.

“I would recommend fostering, it has changed my world, and for my adult children too. We have learned so much about life, so much empathy.”

Councillor Roz Chadd, Hampshire County Council’s executive lead member for children’s services, added: “Foster carers provide safe, loving homes for some of our most vulnerable children in Hampshire, and we always need more carers as people either eventually retire from fostering or their personal circumstances change.

“If you are aged over 21, have a spare room and want to give something back to your local community, please consider changing a child’s life by becoming a foster carer.”

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

For more information about fostering in Portsmouth, call 0300 131 2797 or email [email protected].

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

For more information about ‘Fostering a Better Future’, visit The News - click here for more information.