Why the project exists
National fostering statistics do not currently make this comparison easy to see at a glance. BFCA therefore brings together official statistics and authority-level evidence to make the representation gap visible and trackable.
Research & Publications
The State of Black Fostering in the United Kingdom
The State of Black Fostering in the United Kingdom is BFCA’s annual evidence series examining whether the foster carer workforce reflects the children it serves. A new volume is published every October during Black History Month, creating a growing public record of change over time.
Published annually in October
Each edition builds on the previous year so progress, persistent gaps and changes in practice remain visible.
The representation gap
28 in every 100 children in care. 13 in every 100 council foster carers.
Children from the Global Majority are over-represented in care and under-represented among the foster carers approved to look after them. The hollow dots are the gap: the carers missing to match the children.
Children in care, England
28.2%
of children in care in England are from the Global Majority.
Local authority foster carers
13.2%
of local authority foster carers are from the Global Majority.
2.1× representation gap in council fostering
Global MajorityThe gapEveryone else
Each dot is one in every hundred. Sources: Department for Education, Children looked after in England 2025; Ofsted, Fostering in England 2024–25.
Overview
Why BFCA publishes this report every year.
The report provides a clear, repeatable comparison between the ethnic profile of children in care and the foster carers available to care for them. By publishing the same core measures year after year, BFCA can show where progress is being made, where gaps remain, and where better data or action is needed.
What the annual series will show
- The representation of Black and Global Majority children in care.
- The representation of Black and Global Majority foster carers.
- Authority-by-authority variation and emerging trends.
- Changes in recruitment, matching, support and data quality over time.
The count
On 1 June 2026 we sent the same eleven questions to 331 local authorities. Each mark below represents one authority, as things stood at the 5 October 2026 cut-off for Volume 1. It shows, at a glance, what BFCA was able to count — and what the system still does not reveal.
Both halves
Answered in part
Redirected
No reply yet
30
gave us both halves of the equation: the ethnic profile of their children in care, and of their approved carers. In all thirty, the children’s Global Majority share was higher.
58
councils with children’s services answered in part, or refused on cost grounds. Some questions were answered; others were not held or were suppressed.
55
correctly redirected us: 49 district councils with no children’s services, four councils whose services are run by a trust, and two Northern Ireland councils.
188
had not replied by the cut-off. Volume 2 returns to every one of them so the annual record becomes stronger over time.
Headline findings from Volume 1
The 2026 report establishes the baseline.
Volume 1, published in October 2026, sets the first annual benchmark. It measures the representation gap three ways — from national statistics, from Freedom of Information responses, and authority by authority — and gets the same answer each time.
2.1×
representation gap in council fostering, nationally.
30 / 30
authorities supplying both figures showed the children’s share above the carers’ share. No exceptions.
2.5×
pooled gap across those 30 authorities: 27.3% of children against 11.0% of carers.
5.7×
gap for mixed or multiple heritage children — the widest of any group, and not reported before.
1.2×
median gap in the six London boroughs in the sample — close to parity.
3.8×
median gap outside London, reaching 8.3× in Staffordshire and 14.1× in West Berkshire.
27.7%
of independent fostering agency carers are from the Global Majority. The shortage is in council fostering.
35 / 37
English authorities show the same gap when checked against official figures for children.
National figures: Department for Education, Children looked after in England and Fostering in England statistics, 2025. Authority figures: BFCA Freedom of Information responses received up to 5 October 2026.
How the project works
Designed to be repeated every year.
This report series is intended to become more valuable over time. Each new volume builds on the previous one, helping the sector track progress, identify persistent gaps and benchmark change.
1
Collect
Gather national statistics and authority-level evidence relevant to fostering, ethnicity and representation.
2
Analyse
Review the evidence carefully so the findings are clear, transparent and rooted in real data.
3
Publish
Release the annual report each October as part of Black History Month.
4
Build the archive
Each new volume is added here, so the page becomes a growing public record.
Annual reports
Annual report archive.
Each October, the newest volume will be added here while previous editions remain available, creating a permanent record of the project.
Published · Volume 12026
The State of Black Fostering in the United Kingdom
The first annual report in the series, published in October 2026. It establishes the national baseline using the latest official statistics and Freedom of Information responses from 143 authorities.
Request and discuss Volume 1 →Coming October · Volume 22027
Next annual report
Volume 2 will update every measure and follow up the 188 authorities that had not replied by the Volume 1 cut-off.
Register interest →Future volumes2028+
Growing annual archive
Each new volume will be added here, building a permanent public record of change over time.
How it is used
Evidence designed to inform action.
The report series is meant to be practical. It should help different audiences understand the scale of the issue and respond with better policy, commissioning, recruitment and support.
Carers
Use the evidence to make visible what many Black and Global Majority carers already know from experience.
Local authorities
Benchmark your fostering workforce against the children in your own care.
Commissioners
Use the findings to shape recruitment, support and service improvement priorities.
Researchers & media
Access a clear annual reference point with headline figures and a growing evidence base.
Policymakers
Understand where national data, accountability and action still need to improve.
Contact BFCA
Want to use or discuss the report?
Tell us who you are and how you plan to use the findings. Rachel Cole, BFCA’s Founder and CEO, will contact you to talk through what the report means for your work, your authority or your organisation.