Failing care system must be reformed

The fostering system is failing thousands of vulnerable children who end up in jail and lacking basic qualifications, a report has warned.

The number of youngsters in placements has risen 16 per cent since 2006 to more than 48,000, putting carers under huge strain.

Only a third of youngsters in the system achieve basic levels in maths and English, while more than a quarter of adults serving prison sentences previously spent time in care.

The study from think-tank Policy Exchange says the problems are costing society far more than the taxpayer’s annual £1.2 billion spend on fostering services.

Report co-author Matthew Oakley said: “The lack of a stable, loving family affects a child’s future chances in life.

“We must have high aspirations of what the foster care system can deliver. We desperately need to reform the current foster care system to give some of the most vulnerable children an opportunity that most of us take for granted.

However the report is against turning fostering into a profession, instead suggesting allowances should be paid on a year-round fee based on experience with weekly payments for each child placed with carers.