The number of children in care in Tower Hamlets has jumped by a third in a year, with the council now looking after 307 youngsters.
By March 2026, 307 children were in the care of Tower Hamlets Council. That is a rise of a third in just 12 months.
The figure was presented to councillors on the Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee as part of the draft Corporate Parenting Board Annual Report for 2025/26.
It comes as the cost of caring for children keeps climbing. The 32 children living in residential homes now cost an average of around £7,000 a week each. Another 200 children are in foster care, split 50-50 between the council’s own in-house carers and private sector carers.
The report says the council is working to make sure every child has a safe and stable home. But it warns that challenges remain, particularly in finding enough suitable homes for children (known as placement sufficiency) and in meeting the increasing cost of residential care.
To address the rising costs of residential care, the council reviews every child in residential care monthly to ensure they receive their paid-for care package. They also collaborate with finance colleagues to ensure value for money in care and support.
Councillor Faisal Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Life Chances, emphasised the importance of asking Would this be good enough for my own child?
when considering the support provided to children in care. The Corporate Parenting Board, which includes elected members, senior leaders, partners, young people, and foster carers, aims to review performance and challenge barriers.
The report detailed progress in key areas, including education and aspirations, health and emotional wellbeing, and co-production and engagement. Efforts are being made to improve educational outcomes, with Personal Education Plans becoming more child-centred. The CAMHS in Social Care service received 339 referrals, with 70 full assessments conducted.
Young people's involvement in shaping services is a significant theme, with initiatives like the Children Living in Care Council (CLICC) providing platforms for feedback. The strategy for ensuring placement sufficiency involves consulting young people on the types of homes they prefer. The report acknowledges the need to demonstrate how this feedback leads to tangible changes.
Specific challenges are being faced in recruiting and retaining foster carers. National regionalisation of fostering recruitment and assessment will impact local organisation. In-house foster carers receive between £500 and £1,000 per week. The cost to the council for an independent sector placement is approximately double that of an in-house carer, but a speaker at the meeting stated this does not mean the foster carers themselves receive double the fees. To support foster carers, the council is exploring partnerships with housing to provide accommodation for their adult children.
Looking ahead to 2026/27, priorities include securing financially sustainable homes, strengthening transitions into adulthood, improving health support, and further embedding co-production with demonstrable impact. The council is also responding to national children's social care reforms.
