The number of children referred to the charity to be placed with a foster carer between August 2020 and July 2021 was 19,144. This is a rise of 36 per cent compared with the previous 12-month period, when the figure was 14,130.
Barnardo’s says the surge is likely to reflect the intense strain families have been under as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, with studies showing a rise in mental health problems, child poverty and relationship pressures over the past year.
Although the charity has received higher numbers of referrals for foster care in the past, the large rise in the last 12 months has made it harder to find foster carers that are local to a child and who can accept sibling groups.
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