TACT have voiced their support for a new ‘innovation fund’ that aims to encouraging forward-thinking approaches to foster care, with the goal of creating 10,000 new foster care places during the current parliament.

The government’s bold new £12.4 million fund aims to provide opportunities to expand on successful fostering programmes, and to trial new initiatives. These could include opportunities to form partnerships between organisations, enabling them to work together on new approaches to help modernise the foster care system.

As an organisation that continues to reinvest surplus income into their own innovative fostering approaches, TACT have welcomed this announcement. CEO Andy Elvin, who was asked by Gov.uk to make an official comment, said: “TACT is delighted by the investment the government is making in foster care. We are thrilled by the attention the Minister is paying to fostering, and the pace at which he is acting to address long-standing issues in the sector which have been largely ignored over the past decade. This is not just about investing in fostering; it’s about investing in the children in our communities who need it the most.”

TACT’s recently-launched ‘Making Spaces’ scheme has aligned with the government’s new initiatives. The scheme, which aims to fund house re-developments to create additional bedrooms for young people in care, has already proved to be successful.

TACT foster carer, Ali, said: “For around 18 months, my [own] son had been hoping to buy a property, but like many young people, he found it difficult to secure somewhere near us in London. Then, by chance, I read about the Making Spaces scheme. We were able to use the grant to secure a flat for my son. With my son now settled in his own home, we have a vacant bedroom available so that we can welcome another young person into our home through fostering. The Making Spaces scheme has truly been life changing.”

Historically, TACT have been vocal about the need for governmental focus on the foster care system, due to a national shortage of foster carers.