Calls for foster carers to receive more support

Jojo Smith said more incentives would encourage and inspire carers

Foster carers should receive more support from the government to help them feel recognised, a woman who grew up in care said.

Jojo Smith, from Sutton Coldfield, lived with a foster family until the age of 18.

She said incentives like a lowered council tax and partnerships with local gyms should be introduced to motivate and inspire carers.

All foster parents get an allowance to help cover the cost of caring for a child, the government said.

The number of foster carers has declined in recent years across England and the West Midlands, according to statistics from Ofsted.

Figures have shown that 330 households deregistered in the West Midlands last year, compared to 200 households that signed up.

Ms Smith has worked with the not-for-profit fostering agency Worcestershire Children First and said carers needed more support to encourage people to sign up to the system.

“We need to say ‘this is going to be hard’ but trust me the reward is huge," she added.

Phil and Jo Simpson became foster parents to provide a safe environment for vulnerable children

Phil Simpson and his wife Jo Simpson, from Worcester, started fostering at the beginning of the pandemic to give children a stable home environment.

Mr Simpson said there was a good support network available for carers which provided training programmes, social events and discounted tickets for day trips.

The lack of foster carers meant the couple have been asked if they could look after more children by their local council.

“If you’ve got the space and maybe your children have left home, fostering is a valuable thing to do," he said.

"You’re not making a commitment to keep the child for the rest of their life, it's about helping them more forward with their life.”

The government said foster families should get access to support groups, out of hours advice and a personal development plan which is reviewed every year.

A supervising social worker will provide emotional support for foster parents and help them develop their caring skills, it added.