英国政府正在启动首个全国寄养家庭招募竞选，旨在解决寄养家庭数量下降的危机1。自2021年以来，寄养家庭数量已下降10%，而同期需要寄养的儿童数量反而在增加1。目前英国共有约81,770名受保护儿童，其中约56,400人处于寄养状态1。
政府计划通过引入灵活的寄养模式——包括周末寄养和短期临时寄养等形式——以及大规模招募宣传，目标在本届议会任期结束前创建10,000个新寄养家庭名额1。儿童大臣Josh MacAlister表示："除非我们迅速、大幅扩展寄养制度，否则许多本可在家庭中生活的儿童将被送往住宅护理机构"1。
现有的寄养者队伍面临老龄化问题，超过三分之一的寄养者年龄在60岁或以上1。然而，根据Coram研究，潜在的招募空间广阔，超过50万成年人想要寄养儿童，约340万人表示感兴趣1。其中66%的民众认为如果移除实际障碍，他们能成为好的寄养者1。
制约因素主要包括经济压力。仅有33%的寄养者认为所获补助金完全覆盖了养育儿童的成本1。首相夫人Marie-France van Heel透露她曾想寄养儿童，但因丈夫的工作而放弃1。
The British government has initiated its first nationwide foster care recruitment campaign in response to a deepening crisis in child placements.1 The number of approved foster families has declined by 10% since 2021, even as the number of children requiring foster care continues to rise.1 Currently, approximately 56,400 of England's 81,770 children in state care are placed with foster families.1
The government aims to create 10,000 new foster care placements before the end of the current parliamentary term by introducing flexible fostering models such as weekend and short-term temporary care.1 Research conducted by Coram found that over 500,000 adults expressed interest in fostering children, with approximately 3.4 million people showing some level of interest, and 66% of the public believing they could become good foster carers if practical barriers were removed.1 However, significant obstacles persist: over one-third of current foster carers are aged 60 or older, and only 33% of existing foster families feel that government allowances fully cover the cost of caring for children.1
Children's Minister Josh MacAlister stressed the urgency of the situation, stating: "Unless we rapidly and substantially expand the fostering system, many children who could live in family settings will be placed in residential care institutions."1 The Prime Minister's wife, Marie-France van Heel, disclosed that she had previously considered becoming a foster carer but decided against it due to her husband's work commitments.1
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