The Corporate Parenting Board of Croydon Council met on Wednesday 22 July 2026 to discuss performance reports, updates from the Children's Participation Team and Children in Care Council, and the Fostering Annual Report. The meeting's agenda also included a review of the Board's Terms of Reference.

Terms of Reference

The Board was scheduled to review its current Terms of Reference, which outline its purpose and objectives. As an advisory body, the Corporate Parenting Board aims to support and make recommendations to various council directors and partnership boards on matters related to corporate parenting. Its core objectives include promoting a whole-council approach to excellent standards of care for looked-after children and care-experienced young people, fostering a co-parenting approach, setting high expectations for stable relationships and homes, and ensuring the voices of children and young people inform service development. The Board does not have decision-making powers.

Performance Report

A performance report for June 2026 was scheduled for discussion. This report included updates on several key areas:

• Education, Employment and Training (EET) and Not in Education, Employment and Training (NEET): A verbal update was planned to cover the current status of young people in these categories.
• Housing: An update on housing matters for looked-after children and care leavers was to be provided.
• Health: A verbal update was scheduled to address health-related issues concerning children in care and care leavers.
• Pathway Plans: The Board was to receive a verbal update on the progress and status of pathway plans for young people.

The performance data presented indicated that as of June 2026, there were 563 children in care, with 83% having had their annual health assessment. For care-experienced young people, the data showed 649 individuals were recorded as OPEN (meaning they are actively receiving support or services). The report also detailed ethnicity breakdowns for children in care. Performance indicators for children in care showed a rate of 60 per 10,000 under 18 population, with 87% of eligible children having an up-to-date care plan. However, the percentage of eligible children with an up-to-date pathway plan was a significant concern at 50%. For care-experienced young people, 61% were reported to be in Education, Employment, or Training (EET), and 35% were not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Accommodation for care-experienced young people was reported at 91% in suitable accommodation.

Update from Children's Participation Team & Children in Care Council

The Board was scheduled to receive a verbal update from the Children's Participation Team and the Children in Care Council. This update would likely cover the ongoing work of these groups in ensuring the voices of children and young people in care are heard and influence service delivery.

Fostering Annual Report

The Fostering Annual Report for the period of 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026 was presented for discussion. This report detailed the work of Croydon Council's Fostering Service and outlined plans for service development until March 2027. Key themes highlighted in the report included:

• Service Improvement and Transformation: The report indicated a move towards a sustainable model focused on placement sufficiency, kinship care growth, recruitment effectiveness, and the development of a skilled and supported fostering workforce.
• Investment in Foster Carers: Significant investment was noted, including enhanced fostering fees, the introduction of Skilled, Advanced, and Specialist fostering pathways, council tax reimbursement, and retention payments, aiming to make Croydon the fostering agency of choice.
• Recruitment Activity: The service reported achieving its highest number of fostering enquiries in recent years, with increased numbers of prospective carers progressing through assessment.
• Support for Foster Carers: The report detailed expanded opportunities for peer support, mentoring, reflective practice, and therapeutic consultation, with the development of Horizon Hubs and enhanced support networks.
• Trauma-Informed Approach: Investment in therapeutic support, specialist training, and adolescent-focused interventions was highlighted to help carers meet complex needs and promote stability.
• Fostering Panel: The report noted the panel's role in providing robust independent oversight and quality assurance, with strengthened membership and improved business planning.
• Child's Voice: The commitment to listening to children, young people, and foster carers was emphasised, with ambassadors from the Children in Care Council offering consultation on marketing, recruitment, and training.

The report also provided statistics on the number of children in foster care, the age profile of these children, and the ethnicity of looked-after children and foster carers. It detailed the number of approved fostering households and discussed the utilisation of foster carer capacity. The report acknowledged a national challenge in recruiting and retaining foster carers, with a decrease in mainstream carers in Croydon, though an increase in Family and Friends foster carers was noted. The report also outlined plans for service development in 2026-27, including a focus on net positive recruitment, developing a catalogue of training, launching additional Fostering Hubs, and exploring innovations such as AI in fostering supervision.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

The agenda indicated that a motion would be moved to exclude the press and public from the meeting for certain items of business, on the grounds that these items would likely involve the disclosure of exempt information.