England is expanding a regional model for children’s social care in an effort to improve placements, support foster carers and reduce excessive profits in a market under severe pressure.
What is changing?
Five Regional Care Cooperatives have been confirmed and four new Fostering Hubs are due to go live before the end of 2026. The cooperatives bring together councils, social workers, health services, police and providers across several local-authority areas.
The model is particularly focused on children with complex needs, including those at risk of being placed in unregistered or highly restrictive accommodation.
Support for foster care
The Room Makers programme is being expanded to help foster carers adapt or enlarge their homes. A separate innovation fund will test ways to recruit, diversify and retain more foster carers, while simplified national standards are being consulted on.
Why regional purchasing matters
Individual councils can struggle to secure suitable placements when supply is limited. Regional cooperation may give public bodies more bargaining power and a better view of future need. It could also support more local placements, helping children remain near schools, relatives and trusted adults.
But scale is not automatically the same as quality. Success should be judged through placement stability, children’s views, safeguarding outcomes and the number of young people kept close to their communities—not simply headline savings.
