Report highlights fostering successes - but new carers still needed

Key achievements of Wirral Council’s fostering service have been set out as part of annual review – with creative approaches to foster care helping to improve the lives of looked after children.

While positive, the review, published ahead of Wirral’s next Children, Young People and Education committee, makes clear that more foster carers are still needed to help match loving homes with the children who need them.

According to the report, Wirral Fostering Service continues to play a vital role in supporting children looked after by the local authority, with 262 approved fostering households providing care for more than 384 of Wirral’s children in care.

Key achievements and developments outlined in the review include:

• Continued delivery of high-quality placements through mainstream and kinship carers
• Expansion of mentoring schemes and support groups for foster carers
• Ongoing partnership with Foster4, a regional collaboration aimed at improving recruitment and retention
• Implementation of the Mockingbird Family Model, enhancing support and stability for foster families
• Introduction of innovative schemes such as the Extra Bedroom Incentive and Garage Conversion Grants to increase fostering capacity

Despite these achievements, the report highlights that recruiting foster carers remains a significant challenge both locally and nationally. In response, the service has adopted innovative approaches to expand fostering capacity for children and young people.

One such initiative is the Extra Bedroom Scheme, which offers a £500 incentive to carers who make an additional bedroom available for fostering. By the end of 2024/25, this scheme successfully generated seven new fostering placements.

Additionally, the service introduced a Garage Conversion Scheme, enabling current mainstream foster carers to apply for small grants to modify their properties and create extra bedroom space. As of October 2025, this initiative has resulted in four new fostering placements, helping to avoid the need for Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) provision.

While these inventive projects are helping to meet the demand and improve fostering capacity, anyone who has room in their heart to foster a child is still encouraged to apply.

If you have ever thought about fostering a child, or want to know more, visit the Foster4 website.

You can also read testimonies from a number of Wirral foster carers via the Wirral View website or click the links below:

• Carol’s story: “Every baby deserves a parent, I’m giving the parents that chance.” | Wirral View
• Julie’s story: “If I can do it, anyone can!”: Why not foster like Julie? | Wirral View
• Vicki and John’s story: “It’s not just a job to me, this is my family.” | Wirral View
• Cheryl’s story: The foster carer giving teens a place to call home | Wirral View

The Fostering Annual Report 2024/2025 will be discussed by elected members at the next Children, Young People and Education committee meeting on Wednesday 26 November 2025 at 6pm.

You can view the webcast and read the reports here: Agenda for Children Young People and Education Committee on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, 6.00 p.m. | Wirral Council.