'Mutual Benefits' – The Potential of Disabled People as Foster Carers

As part of the DRILL (Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning) initiative, funded by the Big Lottery, a two-year pilot project was undertaken 2017-2019, with a focus on encouraging inclusive practice within the foster care system in England. The project, led by the University of Worcester in co-production with Shaping Our Lives Service User and Disabled People’s National User Network (a Disabled People’s Organisation) and the Foster Care Co-operative, explored factors surrounding the opportunities and barriers regarding inclusivity and accessibility for Disabled people wishing to become foster carers. Working with one private, one charitable and two state-sector fostering organisations, mixed methods were used to raise levels of awareness about the potential of Disabled people as foster carers. Very few disabled people were found working in the fostering role but a small number of role models were found and testimonies suggested that, with appropriate matching, Disabled people were effective foster carers, who could help fill the recruitment gap in UK foster care, if only they were given equality of opportunity .