Politics · 4 February 2026
UK invests £88m to create 10,000 foster places amid care crisis
Laurie Noble via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
The UK government unveils an £88 million plan to recruit 10,000 new foster carers following a critical shortage. Official data reveals carer numbers plummeted 12 percent to 56,345 since 2021, forcing children into institutional homes. Ministers promise to slash red tape and launch a "Homes for Ukraine" style recruitment drive. Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister simultaneously threatens profit caps on private providers found price-gouging, aiming to overhaul the fractured system.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs