Children in care in the area are now closer to friends and family

More children and young people in care in Newtown, Welshpool and across north Powys are being given the opportunity to remain closer to their families, schools and communities as the county council expands its care services.

Powys County Council has increased the number of children placed with local foster carers and opened more council-run residential accommodation, reducing its reliance on private care providers.

The changes are intended to help children who cannot live with their families maintain important connections with their home communities, rather than being placed further away.

A report going before the council's Health and Care Scrutiny Committee today (Friday, 16 October) reveals that five council-run children's homes are now operating across Powys, providing 13 places for children and young people.

The proportion of children placed with Powys foster carers has also increased from 54% to 63% over the past year.

Meanwhile, the number of children placed with for-profit care providers has fallen from 56 in September 2025 to 51 in September this year.

For families in rural communities such as Newtown, Welshpool, Llanidloes and Montgomery, keeping children closer to home can help maintain contact with relatives and friends, as well as providing greater continuity in their education.

The council has also secured 25 supported accommodation places for young people leaving care through a not-for-profit provider, with plans progressing to create another eight places for those aged 16 and over.

A renovated residential home in Brecon will provide two additional specialist placements for children with disabilities, potentially allowing some young people currently receiving care further away to return closer to home.

The expansion comes as councils across Wales prepare for changes introduced under the Health and Social Care (Wales) Act 2025, which will see a phased move away from for-profit children's care provision.

The legislation is intended to ensure public money spent on children's care is reinvested in services rather than generating profits for private providers.

Councillor Sandra Davies, Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for Future Generations, said: "Every child and young person deserves safe, stable and nurturing care that puts their needs first.

"We have made excellent progress in expanding our local fostering, residential and supported accommodation services, helping more children stay close to the people, places and communities that matter most to them.

"Keeping children closer to home can make a real difference to their wellbeing, education and long-term outcomes, while ensuring that public funding is invested directly into improving care and support services."

Despite the improvements, the council continues to rely on external providers for some placements, with further work needed to increase the availability of local care.

The council is preparing its first Annual Sufficiency Plan, which must be submitted to the Welsh Government by December.

It will assess the number and types of placements needed across Powys and set out how the authority intends to provide sufficient local, not-for-profit care in the future.

Cllr Davies added: "Powys is committed to working with our partners across Wales to develop the high-quality, not-for-profit care provision that children and young people in Powys deserve."

The council is also encouraging more people to consider becoming foster carers to help children remain within their local communities.

Anyone interested in fostering can contact Foster Wales Powys on 0800 22 30 627, email fostering@powys.gov.uk or visit https://powys.fosterwales.gov.wales/