Two new children’s homes set to open in the district amid ‘national crisis’

The move comes after the number of children in care across the district rose almost 7% in a year.

The figure mirrors a nationwide increase in the number of children and young people in local authority care.

The council’s cabinet members are expected to agree to a proposal to lease two properties from Wakefield District to provide short-term emergency placements.

The properties would provide accommodation for up to six young people while long-term placements are identified.

The proposal also includes recruiting and training more staff to work at the new premises.

According to a report, the number of children in care nationally reached 83,840 in March 2023, compared to 82,170 in March 2022.

As of March 2024, there were 684 children in care in the Wakefield district – an increase of 6.8% compared to 639 a year earlier.

The document said: “There is a national crisis in respect of sufficient placements for our children and young people in local authority care.

“The number of fostering households nationally has not kept pace with this increase.

“This means that other forms of placement provision are becoming increasingly important in meeting the needs of children in care.

“Wakefield Council needs to continue to increase placement sufficiency for children in care to meet local demand, to ensure that children are provided with the best possible option for their care and to manage the potentially high costs involved.”

The report said Wakefield still had one of the lowest levels of children in care when compared to local authorities of a similar size.

It adds: “The overarching aim is to ensure that the district’s most vulnerable children are well cared for and achieve the best possible outcomes.”

Cabinet members will consider the report at a meeting on December 10.