Foster Care Fortnight: Home for Good and Safe Families calls the Church to recognise it’s unique role and step into the growing need
Written by Sunny Unachi on 11th May 2026
This week marks the start of Foster Care Fortnight, an annual moment to spotlight the essential role that fostering plays in giving children and young people a stable and loving home. This year, Home for Good and Safe Families is urging churches across the UK to recognise this national moment as a vital opportunity to celebrate, champion and strengthen fostering, and to respond to the urgent needs facing children and young people. This year’s theme, “This is Fostering”, invites the UK to see the reality of fostering today: the joys, the challenges, and the extraordinary difference that this care, compassion and support makes.
This call comes as Home for Good and Safe Families releases new insights from their latest report, Growing Together: Insights to Shape the Future of Fostering and Support.
A system under pressure and the Church is uniquely placed to respond
The Government has set an ambition to recruit 10,000 additional fostering households to address the shortage of carers and create stability for children who need safe and loving homes.[1] This challenge presents a remarkable opportunity for the UK Church to play a transformative role and be known for its heart for care-experienced children.
51% of practising Christians say they would consider fostering, compared with 28% of the wider population.[2] This finding confirms what Home for Good and Safe Families has long observed: the Church is well-placed with both the resources and heart to respond to the needs of children in the care system.
“Our testimony, a year into fostering, is this: we have stepped into stories containing pain, and we have witnessed God bring life and joy to His precious and beloved children. It’s been a year of spinning plates, of little sleep, of big questions and of lots of laughs. A year in, we can honestly say that there is nothing we would rather be doing with our lives.” – Tom and Christina, foster carers
The reality of fostering today – Home for Good and Safe Families’ key findings
People foster because they want to make a difference
The survey shows that 79% of carers began fostering because they wanted to make a positive difference in a child’s life. This values‑driven motivation strongly aligns with the Christian call to offer welcome, compassion and hospitality.
A critical shortage of carers for teenagers
While many carers support younger children, the report reveals a sharp drop-off for older age groups. Only 14% of carers support 16–18‑year‑olds, despite this age group making up 27% of children in care in England. This mismatch highlights a pressing need for more carers willing to care for teenagers as they move toward adulthood.
Carers are under strain
Long‑term fostering depends on strong support, with carers identifying that consistent social worker relationships, therapeutic input, financial stability and respite are essential. Many also struggle to balance fostering with work, and experiences of allegations remain a significant source of stress.
Support networks matter
Friends and family remain carers’ biggest source of support, and just over half of carers are part of peer support groups. Carers value these spaced for feeling understood (84%), getting emotional support (52%), and learning from others (49%), as well as having a safe and confidential space to talk (48%). Peer support is highly valued, yet not consistently accessed, something Home for Good and Safe Families is committed to strengthening, especially through church‑based groups.
The role of the Church
These findings show that the Church is uniquely positioned to both inspire new foster carers and come alongside those already fostering through consistent support and community.
“My carers stuck with me, they gave me space when I needed it, I knew when I walked in the door what to expect. That meant everything to me. I know that being a foster carer isn’t easy, but the difference you will make that you might never even be aware of, could far outweigh the difficulties…I just needed stability and safety. They made such a difference to my life. It’s honestly not worth thinking about where I’d be without my foster carers.” – Zara, care-experienced adult
Growing Together paints a picture of a fostering system rich in compassion but stretched thin. The Church is ready to respond, and Foster Care Fortnight invites a renewed commitment to fostering.
