To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety what steps his Department is taking to (i) increase the number of families choosing to foster children; and (ii) to make the process from application to attainment as efficient as possible.

Recruitment of foster carers is a continual activity and is based on the ability of prospective foster carers to match and build a relationship with the children and young people who require foster care. At the end of June 2014 there were 2146 foster carers in Northern Ireland. The Regional Adoption and Fostering Service (RAFS) supports local Health and Social Care (HSC) Trusts, in the recruitment, assessment and training of foster carers, maintains an overview of the overall fostering position and undertakes recruitment drives as required. In addition, Fostering Network (NI), on behalf of the Health and Social Care Board (HSCB), provides a dedicated helpline for foster carers and runs annual recruitment campaigns. The British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) also receives funding from the HSCB to provide advice, consultancy services and training for prospective foster carers and professionals in Northern Ireland. Furthermore, under Transforming Your Care, additional funding has been made available to put in place professional foster care schemes for the most difficult to place children.

Currently the HSCB and HSC Trusts are reviewing fostering services which will identify areas of need and enable better targeting of recruitment. This has the potential to reduce the time spent on processing applications in respect of potential foster carers. Currently, the expected timeframe for the completion of assessments is between 4 and 6 months. Also, my Department is currently finalising new Fostering Regulations which, among other things, will enable independent fostering agencies to assess their own foster parents, without requiring a further assessment by a Health and Social Care Trust, as is currently the case. This will shorten the process for those who apply to become foster carers through independent fostering agencies. The new Regulations will also bring fostering agencies within the scope of inspection and regulation by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority.