Fostering Service - Hampshire County Council

12/06/2026

The Hampshire Hive

When you foster, you’re never on your own.

The Hampshire Hive is a well-established network that has been supporting foster families across Hampshire for several years. It brings together a strong and growing community of fostering households who rely on one another for guidance, social events, encouragement, and shared experience.

Each Hive is made up of a group of local fostering families, supported by a dedicated Hive Carer Support Worker who acts as the central point of connection – the heart of the Hive.

Hive Carer Support Worker can act as a mentor or buddy to share information and advice, and to help overcome any potential placement challenges or difficulties.
The Hive continues to provide a vital support system for both foster carers and the children they care for. Families within each Hive work together to identify and respond to challenges early, sharing advice and offering practical and emotional support. This collaborative approach helps ensure that children remain in stable, nurturing homes where they can thrive.

To find out more about our Hives, please visit our website:

https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/fostering/trainingandsupport/hampshirehive

10/06/2026

The Government has published its response to the consultation as part of the Department for Education’s action plan, Renewing Fostering: Homes for 10,000 More Children. 📄

We’re really pleased to see that the Government will not be moving forward with the proposal to remove fostering panels, recognising the valuable role that independent, multi agency scrutiny and oversight plays in safeguarding children and young people.

We’re also encouraged by the commitment to strengthen national fostering standards, helping to ensure that allegations are handled in a more timely, proportionate and transparent way. This includes access to independent advocacy and continued financial support for foster carers during investigations.

The findings show that 60% of respondents agreed with introducing a national foster carer register, a development that we have long called for. We are pleased that the Government have committed to continue to consider a register and we look forward to working with them to shape this.

Although we are disappointed that there is no proposal to increase financial support, we are pleased to see the commitment to work with the sector to produce clearer national guidance to improve consistency for both allowances and fees.

A huge thank you to our foster carer and fostering service members who took the time to share their views throughout the consultation. Your feedback made a real difference, helping to secure these positive outcomes and shape the future direction of fostering policy. 👏

Read the full response here ⬇️

https://bit.ly/4osfTz5

01/06/2026

Join us next week for a virtual information session - to find out about starting your fostering journey. Our friendly team and foster carers look forward to speaking with you

30/05/2026

Our friendly team and foster carers will be at The Garden Shows in Broadlands Romsey, 5-7 June. We look forward to seeing you there to help answer any questions you have about beginning your fostering journey.

20/05/2026

16/05/2026

Join us today for Hampshire Live! to find out more about fostering and to talk to our wonderful carers in the Wellbeing Room Places Leisure Eastleigh 10-1pm today. We look forward to seeing you!

13/05/2026

Only 4 days to go! Will you be joining us at Hampshire Fostering LIVE! on Saturday?

Come along to Places Leisure Eastleigh on Saturday 16 May between 10am and 1pm to find out more about fostering with Hampshire!

02/02/2026

📢 Big news for Hampshire families!

In Hampshire we have 20,555 pupils requiring support through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) – up by more than 3,000 since 2024. We’re working hard to create more school places that meet their needs, support more children to thrive closer to home, and reduce travel times for families.

We’ve recently progressed plans for another 157 new specialist places across the county to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

From autism-friendly spaces at Hamble School and Hamble Primary to social, emotional and mental health support at Wavell School, these projects mean more inclusive education and better opportunities for every child.

It’s all part of our ambition to deliver 1,000 new SEND places by 2030.

Find out more about the plans 👉 https://www.hants.gov.uk/News/20260121SEND

30/01/2026

Whether it’s a trip to the park, a picnic in the sunshine, or just being there to listen, foster carers make a huge difference, often without even realising it.
Hear from one of our Hampshire foster carers about the moments that mattered most. 💛
Thinking about fostering? Visit our website to read the most asked questions about becoming a Hampshire foster carer.