New fostering hub to help recruit, approve and support more foster carers across the area.
Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Council and Bedford Borough Council have secured government support to develop a new fostering hub to help recruit, approve and support more foster carers across the area.
Foster East – Bedfordshire and Luton will provide a more joined-up and consistent approach to fostering across the three council areas.
The hub will support people from their first enquiry about fostering, through assessment, approval, training and ongoing support. This end-to-end approach is designed to make the process clearer for prospective foster carers, improve retention and help ensure foster carers feel supported throughout their fostering journey.
The new hub is part of the government’s national ambition to create 10,000 additional foster places by April 2029, helping to make sure there is a fostering placement available for every child who needs one.
Across the Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Bedford partnership area, the hub will work towards increasing total foster capacity to 478 places by 2028/29.
Foster carers provide safe, stable and loving homes for children and young people who are unable to live with their birth families. More foster carers are needed nationally and locally to help ensure children can be cared for in family-based homes, close to their communities, schools and support networks wherever possible.
The three councils will now continue working with the Department for Education to develop the hub and deliver its local targets.
Until the new hub is developed, residents who are interested in fostering should visit their local authority webpage for further information:
Read more about fostering from Central Bedfordshire Council