The Independent/London
Fostered children are being separated from their brothers or sisters because of a shortage of suitable homes.
In some cases, where their natural parents have died, this means they are taken away from the only family they have left, according to new research by the Fostering Network.
In the past two years, 34% of foster families have looked after children whose brothers and sisters had been placed elsewhere, despite care plans stating they should stay together, the charity says.
This equates to 17,000 foster families across Britain, in what is a national problem “affecting thousands of children”, according to Robert Tapsfield, chief executive of the Fostering Network.
Most fostered children have experienced some form of trauma before coming into care, he said. “Being separated from brothers and sisters just adds to the difficulties they are facing, and makes it harder to settle into their new lives,” he added.
Natasha Finlayson, chief executive at the Who Cares? Trust, a charity for children in care, described the figure, from a survey of more than 1,200 foster families, as “really shocking”.
She warned: “With the number of children in care and not enough places in foster care and children’s homes, we are heading for a perfect storm.”
Some 73% of fostering services reported last year that it had become harder to keep brothers and sisters together over the past five years. The situation is set to worsen with reforms to the welfare system, as carers with two or more bedrooms for fostered children face losing housing benefit for these “unoccupied” rooms, and will have to apply to a discretionary fund for compensation.
