CoramBAAF statement on the Government's fostering reform consultation response
The Government has today published its response to the fostering reform consultation launched in February 2026, setting out its position on proposals relating to fostering panels, assessment processes and the handling of allegations against foster carers. CoramBAAF welcomes the Government’s decision to retain fostering panels while committing to improve their consistency, quality and effectiveness across the sector. We are particularly pleased that the consultation response recognises the importance of independent scrutiny, lived experience and robust quality assurance within fostering decision-making. The government have also committed to strengthening how allegations and standards of care concerns are handled including clearer national expectations, more proportionate and timely processes, and better support for both children and foster carers during investigations
This is a significant and positive outcome for the sector and reflects the strength of engagement from foster carers, care experienced people, practitioners, panel members and organisations across the country. Throughout the consultation period, CoramBAAF engaged with more than 1,500 individuals through briefings, conferences, practice forums, advisory groups and surveys. This included 650 attendees at our national online briefing, alongside contributions from foster carers, kinship carers, social workers, panel advisers, health professionals, legal experts and people with care experience.
In March, we sent a joint letter to the Minister for Children and Families setting out our position that fostering panels must remain a core part of a reformed and improved fostering process. The letter was co-signed by sector partners Coram Voice, The Fostering Network, Foster Talk, NSPCC, Action for Children, NYAS, Article 39 and Barnardo's. In the letter, we made the case for panels as a “critical safeguard and quality assurance mechanism”, a view that was reflected in the Government’s consultation findings.
We want to thank all those who took the time to participate, share experiences and contribute to our response as well as those who responded directly to the consultation. The Government’s decision demonstrates that sector engagement matters and that individual voices can collectively make a real difference to national policy. We also welcome the open and constructive way the Department for Education has engaged with the sector throughout this process and its willingness to listen carefully to the breadth of views expressed.
While there were differing perspectives across the sector about the future role of fostering panels, we hope there is broad agreement that the system now has an opportunity to improve processes for everyone involved, particularly foster carers and kinship carers. Retaining panels should not mean maintaining the status quo. The focus must now be on ensuring panels are proportionate, timely, consistent and supportive, while continuing to provide effective safeguarding and independent oversight.
We also welcome the government’s recognition that delays within fostering processes are often caused by broader systemic issues. Alongside this, the proposed reforms to allegations processes are an important step towards creating approaches that are more transparent, fair and supportive for both children and carers.
There is already a significant programme of reform and development underway across fostering, and CoramBAAF will continue to work closely with our members, government, local authorities, independent fostering agencies and sector partners to support implementation and improvement. We are committed to helping shape the next phase of reform so that fostering systems are safer, more consistent and more relational for children, carers and families alike.
This consultation response represents a constructive step forward for the fostering sector, and we look forward to working collaboratively to help deliver meaningful improvement in the years ahead