Four Black Country councils are joining forces to establish a regional fostering hub that will transform how foster parents are recruited, supported and retained across the region.

The new fostering hub will bring together the expertise and resources of Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell to create a stronger, more collaborative approach to fostering. It aims to make it easier for people to find out about becoming a foster parent and access the training, advice and support available throughout their fostering journey.

It follows a successful bid to the Department for Education to support and mobilise the hub. By working together, the 4 councils will strengthen recruitment efforts and enhance support for foster parents, helping to ensure more local children can grow up in safe, stable and loving homes close to the communities they know and value.

The regional hub will build on existing partnerships between the councils, creating a more consistent and co-ordinated fostering offer across the Black Country. Prospective foster parents will have a single point of contact to access information and guidance more easily, while benefitting from continued support and development opportunities for those already fostering.

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "We are delighted that the bid to the Department for Education to support and mobilise a regional fostering hub has been successful.

"There is an ongoing need for more foster parents across Wolverhampton and the Black Country to provide safe, stable and nurturing homes for children and young people. Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a caring environment where they feel supported, valued and able to thrive.

"The new hub is an exciting opportunity for us to work with colleagues in Walsall, Dudley and Sandwell to raise awareness of fostering, reach new audiences and make it easier for people to find out what fostering involves and the support available to them.

"Becoming a foster parent can be one of the most rewarding things a person can do. By attracting and supporting more foster parents across the region, we can help more local children remain close to their families, friends, schools and communities wherever possible."

The hub forms part of a major national children's social care reform programme led by the Department for Education, aimed at improving outcomes for children in care, increasing fostering capacity, and enabling more children to remain close to their families, schools and communities.

For more information about Fostering for Wolverhampton, please visit Fostering for Wolverhampton or Facebook and Instagram or call 01902 551133.