The majority of children in foster care are found placements by local authority fostering agencies. However, Ofsted data on fostering in England from 2014/15 showed the first signs that councils are increasing their use of independent fostering agencies (IFAs) - voluntary or private organisations that place children with foster carers on behalf of local authorities.
The increase in children placed through IFAs was higher than for those placed by local authority agencies, with 28,695 children found foster homes via IFAs in 2014/15, up by three per cent from 2013/14. Over the same period, the number of children placed by local authority fostering agencies increased by just one per cent, from 56,470 to 57,195.
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