The new Children’s Minister, Josh MacAlister MP, made his first official visit in the role to Warrington on Tuesday 16 September to see how a landmark £3.3 million investment is transforming foster care across the borough and the wider region.
Warrington Borough Council successfully secured the funding earlier this year as part of the government’s major programme of childcare reform.
What difference is the investment making to childcare?
The investment is already making a difference, with around £2 million directed to strengthening the Foster4 Recruitment Hub – a vital service that recruits, supports, and mentors foster carers across 9 local authorities (Warrington, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral).
£2.1 billion was secured at the Spending Review to deliver major reforms of children’s social care and family support put forward in the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care (2022), led by Josh MacAlister before entering Parliament.
Now, as Minister for Children, he is responsible for delivering these reforms, which will transform the lives of vulnerable children and families in Warrington and across the North West.
What did the childcare minister have to say?
Josh MacAlister MP, Minister for Children & Families, said: “Children and families are at the heart of this government’s Plan for Change. For too long, children’s social care has been under unbearable strain, with vulnerable children too often let down. That changes now.
“Labour’s transformative reforms – backed by over £2 billion of investment nationwide – is the largest reform programme in the history of children’s social care. Here in Warrington, we can already see the difference.”
Minister MacAlister was joined on the visit by local MPs Sarah Hall (Warrington South) and Charlotte Nichols (Warrington North), alongside Council Leader Hans Mundry, to meet foster carers and staff at the hub and hear how the reforms are beginning to reshape the system.
“It has been fantastic to have the Children’s Minister, Josh MacAlister here in Warrington today and to see the fantastic work that has been happening within foster care locally” said Charlotte Nichols MP.
Sarah Hall MP added: “It’s brilliant to have the very welcome investment into fostering and the foster hub and Warrington is already a bit of a trailblazer in this field and it’s fantastic to see just what more can be achieved.
“It is really going to make a difference to children’s lives.”
Minister MacAlister said: “The Foster4 hub is about recruiting more carers, providing stronger support, and creating better outcomes for children. This is about breaking the cycle of crisis and building a system that keeps children safe, nurtured, and thriving.
“In the coming months I’ll be working on plans to go even further and faster to recruit thousands more foster carers across the country to provide stable and loving homes for vulnerable children.”
