Foster care in Jersey

WQ.27/2026

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BY DEPUTY H.L. JEUNE OF ST. JOHN, ST. LAWRENCE AND TRINITY QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 9th FEBRUARY 2026

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2026

Question

"In relation to foster care in Jersey, will the Minister advise –

1. the total number of approved foster carers, new carers and carers who left the service in Jersey for each of the last five years;
2. any recruitment targets set as part of the Government's foster carer recruitment campaign and timeframes for achieving any such targets;
3. how many of the foster carers approved during the campaign period can be directly attributed to the recruitment campaign and what methodology is used to determine this;
4. whether an exit or de-registration evaluation is conducted when foster carers leave the system and, if so –
   1. whether these reasons are formally recorded and analysed; and
   2. what the main reasons for exit have been over the last five years;
5. what actions or mitigations, if any, the Minister has implemented in response to identified reasons for foster carers leaving and whether there is any evidence that these measures have improved retention; and
6. whether he considers the recruitment campaign to have represented value for money and how this assessment was made?"

Answer

1. the total number of approved foster carers, new carers and carers who left the service in Jersey for each of the last five years;

2. any recruitment targets set as part of the Government's foster carer recruitment campaign and timeframes for achieving any such targets;

Three campaigns are planned for 2026:

Campaign 1: February 2026. "Could You Change a Child's Life in 2026?"

Aim: To capture early-year interest whilst people are still reflecting on their life goals for 2026. Key activities include targeted internal marketing strategy across lock screens, digital boards in Union Street and lunch & learn sessions, where colleagues can gather more information from the Fostering Service about fostering. The focus will remain on myth-busting and clarifying who can foster and the support available. Target Households: 5

Timescale: Within 9 months

Campaign 2: April – May 2026. "Loving Homes Combined Campaign with Residential"

Aim: To promote fostering and the concept of Loving Homes' via a collaborative external campaign with our residential service. This marketing strategy will include two powerful videos of young people benefiting from loving care (residential/fostering) as they transition and thrive within their loving homes. The plan is for this campaign to take place during Foster Care Fortnight in May 2026. During this period activities will be intensified sharing positive carer stories, social media takeovers and community events.

Target Households: 10

Timescales: Within 9 months

Campaign Three: July – September 2026. "The Hive"

Aim: To launch our new fostering model "The Hive" across the community. The Hive introduces a new model inspired by the UK's Mockingbird Family Model, aiming to create a community-based support system for foster carers and children. The concept involves a central "hub" home supporting a group of "satellite" foster homes, replicating the structure of an extended family. The Hive campaign seeks to address key challenges in fostering, particularly the isolation, emotional strain, and lack of support that some carers may experience. By introducing The Hive, the campaign will shift perceptions of fostering from a solitary, high-pressure role to a shared, community-supported experience. The Hive's structure is designed to reduce fear of failure and increase confidence among new carers. At its core, the campaign will try to change how fostering is understood and experienced in Jersey. It will encourage people to see fostering not just as a personal commitment, but as a collective effort rooted in connection and care. By highlighting emotional rewards, practical support, and community values, The Hive aims to motivate action, build trust, and ultimately increase recruitment and retention of foster carers.

Target Households: 5 foster families to achieve one fully operational Hive. Timescales: 12 months

A campaign for October 2026 remains in the planning stages and is yet to be approved.

3. how many of the foster carers approved during the campaign period can be directly attributed to the recruitment campaign and what methodology is used to determine this;

A campaign would hope to trigger a number of enquiries to the fostering service. This is the first stage of the foster carers journey.

All enquiries received by the fostering service are subject to a survey which is conducted as part of the enquiry response. This accounts for how the enquirer heard about fostering, what adverts or marketing they observed, linking back to any campaigns or awareness raising events (children's day/pop up shops etc) that led them to make contact. The results are then scrutinised to inform further recruitment strategies.

Following an enquiry, a decision is made as to whether the fostering service carries out an initial visit' to the enquirer. This decision is made on the basis of information shared during the enquiry stage and if the enquirer appears suitable to continue with the process.

An initial visit is carried out to the enquirers home address to discuss fostering in more detail and assess home conditions, availability, experience and motivation. Following this, a decision is made as to whether the enquirer should progress to the training stage.

The training stage includes a 7-week Skills to Foster training course which equips the enquirer with all they need to know about fostering whilst providing them with the opportunity to explore case studies and work as part of a group with other people interested in fostering.

At the end of this training course, feedback is provided by the course facilitators as to how enquirers contributed and managed the course. Those who are deemed to be suitable to progress to the next stage are invited to formally apply to foster.

Following this, an application is submitted and a Fostering Assessment is commenced. This is then presented to the fostering panel with a recommendation for approval and the Agency Decision Maker is required to make a final decision about approval following this.

Following the last major external Myth Busting' recruitment campaign in March 2025, a total of 25 enquiries were received by the fostering service between March and December 2025. Of these enquiries, 6 were as a direct result of the Myth Busting' Campaign. The others were as a result of word of mouth, the GOJ website, leaflets and social media posts throughout the year.

Of the 25 enquiries received in 2025, 14 withdrew from the process due to a combination of personal reasons, 1 was closed by the service due to unsuitable accommodation, 1 went through to complete an assessment and 9 remain active.

Whether an exit or de-registration evaluation is conducted when foster carers leave the system and, if so –

ii.   whether these reasons are formally recorded and analysed; and

If a foster carer decides to resign, they are required to complete a formal resignation form which sets out the reasons for their resignation. This is shared with fostering service management team who examine the reasons outlined to determine if there are any causes for concern, issues or themes which require closer analysis. If the view is held that issues identified within the resignation could be remedied or repaired, steps are taken to address this and meet with carers to discuss the matters identified, in the hope that a resolution can be found.

Resignations which progress are shared with the fostering panel who sit every month. The panel are made aware of the information and discuss the matter as part of their agenda. Carers are supported to attend panel and share their experiences if they wish to as part of their resignation. These meetings are formally minuted.

If the fostering service deems that a foster carer should be de-registered, an annual review report setting out the reasons for this recommendation is presented to the fostering panel, along with any supporting documentation (investigations). The panel will consider all information provided and make a recommendation as to whether the carer should be de-registered or not. All documentation and the panel recommendation are then sent to the Agency Decision Maker for their final decision about de-registration.

ii.  what the main reasons for exit have been over the last five years;

Since Jan 2022 there have been 46 de-registrations or resignations from the service.

Reasons for these are broken down as follows:

• Personal reasons (family issues, health, retiring, personal circumstances): 17 carers

• Permanence arrangements established instead of fostering (Child turned 18 and became subject to staying put arrangement as an adult; Residence Order made to foster carer; Child adopted, etc): 13 children

• Care plan for fostering concluded (child returned to parental care, child moved on to independence at 18, etc): 6 children

• Withdrew from fostering due to dissatisfaction with Service/Support/Financial arrangements, etc: 4 carers

• De-registration due to not meeting fostering standards or expectations: 6 carers

5. what actions or mitigations, if any, the Minister has implemented in response to identified reasons for foster carers leaving and whether there is any evidence that these measures have improved retention; and

There has been a strong focus on improving the service offered to foster carers in response to the issues raised by them. This has included regular engagement events with the Head of Service and leadership team, an improved retention strategy, and events organised throughout the year to recognise the work that foster carers do and encourage a connection.

We have improved our retention strategy and have a number of retention events organised for 2026, to include events for foster carers and their birth children.

The Service has worked hard to recruit a permanent work force which now has a workforce of 80% permanent staff within the fostering team, to improve consistency in the quality of relationships and support provided to carers.

The offer for foster carers in respect of financial rewards, grants and incentives was improved in 2025.

The training offer for foster carers has been improved to include increased opportunities for progression, learning and development.

The managing allegations process has been strengthened to ensure robust management oversight/completion of complex investigations.

Support for foster carers has also been strengthened in response to issues raised by foster carers. This has included recruitment of a permanent family support worker to focus on carer support groups, support in general and retention events.

6. whether he considers the recruitment campaign to have represented value for money and how this assessment was made?"

The last major external recruitment campaign in March 2025 focused on busting the myths associated with fostering, with the aim of raising awareness across the community about who can foster. This campaign directly influenced 6 members of the public to make enquiries but only resulted in 1 fostering family proceeding to a formal assessment. This fostering family can provide full time care for 1 child or 2 siblings, aged 5-18 years of age, on a short term or permanent basis.

It is difficult to put a value for money target against a fostering campaign. Every foster carer who is recruited will add huge value in offering a child/children a safe, stable and loving home, where they will receive emotional support, support with their trauma recovery and consistency of care.

It is positive to note that there are currently 9 active enquiries being processed at the current time.