The Department for Education has awarded up to £680,000 in 2026/27 and £1.026million in 2027/28 to create a new West Midlands Regional Care Cooperative (RCC).

The new partnership will bring together 14 councils across the wider West Midlands region, as well as health services, police and youth justice partners. They will work together to make sure children and young people get the support they need, when they need it.

The RCC is part of the government’s plans to improve children’s social care. It will help councils work together to find the right homes and support for children in care.

Around 11,560 children and young people are currently in care across the West Midlands. Many councils face challenges finding the right placements close to home and meeting the growing needs of children and families. The new partnership will help create more local support for children, improve fostering and make it easier to plan services across the region. One of its main aims is to help more children stay close to their families, friends, schools and communities whenever possible.

Councillor Mona Khurana, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:

“We are very pleased that the West Midlands has received this funding and we are proud that Sandwell Council led this successful bid on behalf of the region’s councils.

“This is a great chance for councils and partners to work more closely together to support children and young people in care.

“By working as one region, we can improve the support available, help children find stable homes, and create more local opportunities for care.

“Most importantly, we want children to stay close to the people and places that are important to them and help them achieve the best possible future.”

The partnership includes Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Herefordshire, Sandwell, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire.

The next stage of work will focus on building the new partnership, improving planning and data sharing, working more closely with foster carers and care providers, and making sure services can meet future demand.

Notes to editors:

The Regional Care Cooperative will build on successful work already taking place across the West Midlands to improve the lives of children and young people in care.

• The West Midlands Regional Care Cooperative brings together all 14 local authorities across the region alongside health, policing and youth justice partners.
• The Department for Education has confirmed funding of up to £680,000 in 2026/27 and £1.026million in 2027/28 for the development of the RCC.
• Regional Care Cooperatives form part of the government’s programme of children’s social care reform.
• The West Midlands supports around 11,560 children in care and spends more than £1billion annually on children’s care services.
• The RCC aims to improve placement sufficiency, increase placement stability, strengthen regional commissioning and improve outcomes for children and young people.