Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to help support independent fostering agencies to improve their co-commissioning practices.

The department’s priority is to recruit and retain more foster carers so there is a choice of stable, loving foster homes for children in care.

We encourage local authorities and independent fostering agencies to collaborate and offer the best possible homes for children in care. We welcome sector efforts such as the National Fostering Model Contract, which was co-produced by local authorities and Independent Fostering Agencies, which aim to improve commissioning processes.

The department is establishing Regional Care Cooperatives to improve the overarching approach to commissioning placements to best meet the needs of children. There are currently two Regional Care Cooperatives, one in Greater Manchester, and one in the South East, and we will continue to work with these regions to strengthen their commissioning approaches, which will include working closely with the relevant independent fostering agencies.