* Evidence-based, wraparound support is key to improving foster carer retention, a new guide suggests

Foster carers, whose views were collected in a new review, said they valued effective help from children's services including flexible, tailored support networks, to help them face the challenges of fostering.

The Foster Care Practice Guide, produced by Foundations and commissioned by the Department for Education, draws on the most comprehensive review of the evidence of its kind on foster carers' experiences and the support that works for them. It is designed for senior leaders who commission services and offers evidence-based recommendations focussed on improving support for foster carers and the children they care for.

The Guide and evidence review are published during Foster Care Fortnight, a yearly awareness campaign coordinated by The Fostering Network that shines a light on fostering.

Foster care provides safety, stability, and belonging for children when they cannot stay with their own families, but the fostering system is facing serious challenges. The Practice Guide comes against a backdrop of rising annual demand for foster care, an increase in the number of children with complex needs entering foster care, and a drop in the number of foster carers, due in part to the pressures they face.

Evidence in the Guide shows that evidence-based support for foster carers leads to improved retention of foster carers and better outcomes for children in foster care.

It finds that access to support networks helps foster carers feel valued and equipped, making their role feel more manageable, and improving foster carer retention. In turn, this provides more stable, loving foster homes for children who need them.

Children placed in foster care do better when foster carers receive training in supporting positive child behaviour and in building strong bonds with their foster child, the evidence also shows.

The research highlights the views and experiences of foster carers:

Many foster carers said they often lack the opportunity to focus on themselves, to talk about their own struggles and emotions, and to feel held by others.

Foster carers valued support that focused on their own needs, which in turn allowed them to continue to provide sensitive, effective care to children.

Foster carers highly valued support networks, including peer support groups where foster carers can meet and share their experiences.

The Guide will be an invaluable resource for local authorities as significant government reforms to foster care get underway, including a planned recruitment drive to create 10,000 new placements by 2029, and a £12m Innovation Fund to scale and test new and existing programmes to support foster families.

An event in Parliament on 14 May, hosted by Foundations and The Fostering Network, will see over 80 foster families join policymakers, Parliamentarians, and children's services leaders for the official launch of the publication.

Jo Casebourne, Chief Executive of Foundations, the What Works Centre for Children & Families, said:

"Foster care plays an essential role in providing stability, safety and loving relationships for children who cannot live with their birth families. But foster care today is changing; children are entering care with increasingly complex needs, and foster carers are under growing pressure, often with limited access to evidence-based specialist support that makes a real difference.

"Our new Practice Guide for local authorities brings together the best available evidence on interventions that we know can strengthen placement stability, contribute to foster carer retention, and, crucially, help the children in their care to thrive. After the local elections, many new administrations will be focused on how best to support children and families in their areas. Access to clear, evidence-based guidance will help them act with confidence.

"The Guide aligns with the Department for Education's recent fostering action plan, which emphasises the role of robust evidence to strengthen foster care. Foundations welcomed that commitment, and the Guide will contribute to building an evidence informed system that supports foster carers and improves outcomes for the children they care for."

Sarah Thomas, Chief Executive of The Fostering Network, said:

"This Foster Care Fortnight, we are pleased to welcome the new Practice Guide from Foundations, which we were delighted to sit on the advisory group for.

"The Guide's focus on evidence-based interventions to help retain foster carers comes at a vital time, as more foster carers continue to leave than join each year.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach to fostering, but our research shows that respect for foster carers, support for their wellbeing, therapeutic parenting support, and strong support networks all play a crucial role in retaining foster carers.

"We are particularly pleased to see the impact of our Mockingbird and Fostering Changes programmes, highlighted in the Guide. They play a very important role in improving foster care, children's wellbeing and the retention of foster carers across the UK."

For further information, please contact Silvia Tadiello, Senior Communications Officer: silvia.tadiello@foundations.org.uk / 07874373329

About Foundations

Foundations is the national What Works Centre for Children & Families. We believe all children should have the foundational relationships they need to thrive. To achieve this mission, we generate and champion actionable evidence to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and their families.