STEVE Race, MP for Exeter, has warmly welcomed the Labour Government’s announcement of a new South West Fostering Hub.

Earlier this month, the Government announced new support for children’s social care, boosting the number of foster carers by 10,000, putting more focus on loving and enduring relationships, and creating new specialist support for the most vulnerable teenagers.

As part of these reforms, the South West is set to receive a £3,460,000 boost to children’s social care.

The sum of £700,000 will support a new South West Fostering Hub, which will bring groups of local authorities together to recruit, assess, approve and support foster carers through a shared regional approach.

The ambition is to create a clearer and better supported journey from application to approval and beyond, with high-quality ongoing training and support. By recruiting and retaining more foster carers, more children will have the chance to be matched with the right families and access stable, family-based care.

A total of £1,000,000 will be invested in the Room Makers programme, which supports foster carers to adapt their homes and create more space for children, which is particularly beneficial for keeping sibling groups in the same foster home.

The region will also receive £560,000 from the Fostering Innovation Fund to test new and innovative approaches to fostering, modernising the system and attracting a wider range of carers.

Finally, Mockingbird in the South West will receive £1,200,000. Mockingbird is an evidence-based model of support which creates extended family-style networks to improve support for and retention of foster carers and provide stable and sustainable communities for children in care.

Steve Race, Labour MP for Exeter, said: “For too long, the most vulnerable children in our society have been left without the stability they need, and the incredible families who open up their homes as foster carers have struggled with inadequate support.

“In Devon, Children’s Services has been rated "inadequate" at the most recent Ofsted inspections in 2020 and 2024. The 2024 report highlights the worrying trend of more foster carers leaving the service than joining it, with many saying that they feel unsupported and undervalued.

"It is vital that care-experienced young people grow up in loving, stable homes with the support of people they can trust, so that they have access to the opportunities every child should have to achieve and thrive.

“So, I'm pleased that the Government is injecting new funding into the region's fostering service, including establishing a South West Fostering Hub. By expanding the support available to foster carers, we can retain and recruit more people to take on this challenging but rewarding role and make sure every child has the best possible start in life."