On 31 March 2015, 69,540 children in the UK were in the care of local authorities, up from 68,800 in 2014. The vast majority (75%) lived with foster families and while some eventually return home, move in with other family members or go on to be adopted, many spend the majority of their childhood in foster homes.
Despite this, a new report shows that a quarter of foster carers rarely or never keep in contact with former foster children – with some saying they have been prevented from doing so. This comes amid calls for the UK government and local authorities to help make sure those who develop particularly good relationships are enabled to support young people through the care process.
We want to hear your stories and experiences. Have you been fostered or are you a foster carer? If so, do you keep in touch with former foster parents or children? Do you wish you had? Or perhaps you were glad to say goodbye. We are looking for your stories about how foster care has shaped lives.
Tell us by filling in the form below and we’ll round up the best stories.
