Why Foster Care Recruitment is Failing (and What We Can Actually Do About It)

Let’s get real for a moment. Foster care recruitment is broken, and if we don’t admit that loudly, clearly, and honestly, nothing will ever change.

I’ve been around foster care long enough, as a carer, advocate, and (yes, controversial) voice, to see it clearly. The sector is struggling, and it’s not just down to tighter budgets or overworked local authorities. It’s because for years we’ve failed to listen. We’ve wilfully ignored the signals from the very people we need most, our foster carers.

We’re Losing Foster Carers Faster than We Can Recruit Them

Across the UK, independent fostering agencies (IFAs) and local authorities alike face plummeting recruitment and sky-high turnover rates. Experienced carers are walking away in droves, frustrated and undervalued. New carers aren’t signing up because the image and reality of fostering don’t align with modern life. Agencies aren’t just battling empty beds, they’re battling an outdated perception that foster care must consume every aspect of a carer’s life.

Let’s be blunt: fostering is deeply rewarding, but it is not who we are, it’s something we do. It’s something meaningful, impactful, and flexible. Yet the narrative around foster care continues to be controlled by outdated stereotypes, patronising ‘charters’, and, let’s be frank, surveillance-style oversight. How comfortable do we think carers feel knowing they’re being watched on social media by social workers waiting to catch them out? It’s ridiculous, and it’s driving people away.

Stop Marketing Like It’s 1995

Apart from a handful of IFAs who’ve embraced change and nailed their marketing, the fostering sector is lagging far behind. Too many agencies don’t know who they are, what sets them apart, or even how to articulate their message clearly. They use bland, generic phrases that speak to nobody and differentiate nothing.

If you don’t know exactly who you are, how on earth can you expect prospective carers to trust you enough to join your agency? If you don’t understand your own specialisms, how can local authorities trust you with their placements? IFAs desperately need to clarify their identity, highlight their strengths, and show foster carers that they’re valued professionals, not merely commodities within a corporate system.

The Power of Collaboration (Not Competition)

Here’s another uncomfortable truth: too many IFAs still see each other as rivals rather than allies. The competition for carers is fierce, but imagine what could happen if we actually collaborated instead. Imagine regional clusters of small and medium-sized IFAs working together, pooling resources, knowledge, and expertise. Imagine collective marketing campaigns, shared best practices, and genuine community.

This isn’t naïve optimism. It’s practical strategy. We know that local authorities prefer stability, reliability, and clear messaging. If IFAs unite to form stronger regional partnerships, they become impossible to ignore.

You Can’t Wait for Legislation to Catch Up

Yes, legislation change is vital. Yes, it’s painfully slow. But guess what? You don’t need to wait. You can create cultural shifts in your agency right now. You can start building trust with carers today. You can change how you communicate, how you recruit, and how you position yourselves within your region. Legislation might take years, but culture can shift far quicker if you have the courage and vision to push ahead.

Here’s What I’m Doing About It

I’m tired of just calling out the problems, I’m determined to help fix them. So I’ve created the IFA Empowerment Programme. It’s practical, straightforward, and designed specifically to address the challenges you face:

• Regional clusters: Connecting you with other agencies to maximise your impact.
  
• Real, authentic marketing support: Helping you find and amplify your unique strengths.
  
• Recruitment and retention strategies that actually work: No clichés, no empty promises, just practical tools.
  
• Tailored workshops and direct guidance: I’ll work alongside your team, guiding you through the challenges you face.
  

You’re not getting a generic consultant who recycles old ideas. You’re getting someone who’s lived the system, who’s fought battles from the frontline, and who refuses to sugarcoat reality, combined with an innovative, forward thinking marketing agency. Together we can build your agency’s credibility, restore carer trust, and create genuine, lasting change in foster care recruitment.

The Choice is Yours

Here’s my blunt call to action: You can carry on exactly as you have done, watching recruitment numbers decline and carers drift away, or you can decide to do something bold, different, and genuinely empowering.

If you’re ready to be brave, honest, and committed to transforming foster care, let’s talk. No fluff, no jargon, just real change.

Louise Allen is a foster carer, bestselling author, and fierce advocate for better foster care. She founded Louise, the specialist marketing and consultancy agency that empowers child-focused organisations to tell their story, grow sustainably, and create meaningful impact.