"Foster care [in the UK] is in a “state of emergency” as the number of referrals rockets while the number of people looking to take children in has halved during the coronavirus pandemic," according to this article from the Independent. "Barnardo’s, one of the UK’s largest fostering agencies, recorded a 44 per cent rise in foster referrals to its service during the public health crisis, with the figure increasing to 2,349 between 1 March and 23 April, compared with 1,629 for the same period last year," the article continues. "Delays in family court proceedings due to lockdown have also meant the process for placing a child in foster care is taking considerably longer, while in some cases existing foster placements are breaking down because of pressures stemming from the pandemic, experts said."
