'Every child needs love': Foster Portsmouth hopes to increase the number of carers through a recruitment drive

Foster Portsmouth launching a recruitment drive in a bid to boost the number of foster carers with nationwide numbers dwindling to a worrying level.

Portsmouth City Council’s dedicated fostering service - Foster Portsmouth - has been doing the rounds at events across the city to encourage eligible people to get involved in the care system as the country faces an unprecedented decline in carers.

This comes after figures revealed that as of March 2025, there were 33,435 foster homes in England, marking a 10 per cent drop since 2021. Despite the concerning drop in carers, the number of children in care has jumped from 64,460 in 2010 to 81,770 in 2025 - the highest recorded numbers since the 1980s. The scarcity of carers has applied significant pressure to the council to ensure children and young people have access to safe and supportive homes.

Most recently, the service attended the S.A.L.T Festival, in Victoria Park, and The Pompey Games, at the Mountbatten Centre, in a bid to provide key information about the various types of fostering, the process and the difference it can make.

As previously reported, The News has launched a ‘Fostering a Better Future’ campaign to help shine the spotlight on fostering and increase the number of people who take on this caring role. This includes supporting the recruitment drive by featuring real-life fostering experiences and essential information about becoming a carer.

There are an estimated 400 children in care in the city, with an annual report for Portsmouth City Council revealing that as of March 31, 2025 there were 232 fostering households working with Foster Portsmouth.

While at the S.A.L.T Festival, the team also threw themselves into the fun by joining in with dancing, led by Bailando with Sally, pilates, and connecting with lots of wonderful organisations including Citizens Advice, Compass Counselling and Portsmouth City Council's Community Connectors.

A spokesperson for Portsmouth City Council said one of the highlights of the day was the team’s interactive board which asked people: "What is one thing you think every child needs?"

By the end of the day, the board was full of responses including: love, safety, family, trust, kindness, encouragement, attention, stability, cuddles and hope. They were a powerful reminder that every child deserves to feel valued, supported and cared for.

To be an eligible foster carer you must:

• Be at least 21 years old
• Have a legal right to work or live in the UK
• Possess a spare bedroom
• Pass a background check
• Live in the UK

For more information about fostering in Portsmouth, call 0300 131 2797 or email [email protected].

For more information about Foster Portsmouth, click here.

To get involved in fostering in Hampshire, call 0300 131 2797 or email [email protected].