Sandwell Council has led a successful bid for government funding to establish a new partnership supporting children in care across the West Midlands region.
The Department for Education has awarded up to £680,000 in 2026/27 and £1.026 million in 2027/28 to create the West Midlands Regional Care Cooperative (RCC).
Which councils are involved?
The partnership brings together 14 councils: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire.
Health services, police and youth justice partners will also work with the councils as part of the cooperative.
What does the partnership aim to do?
Around 11,560 children and young people are currently in care across the West Midlands. Many councils struggle to find suitable placements close to children's homes and communities.
The RCC will help councils work together to find the right homes and support for children in care. It aims to create more local support, improve fostering services and make it easier to plan care across the region.
A key objective is to help more children stay close to their families, friends, schools and communities whenever possible.
What happens next?
The next stage will focus on building the partnership, improving data sharing between councils, working more closely with foster carers and care providers, and ensuring services can meet future demand.