Bishop Paul speaks out for children in care at General Synod

At General Synod on Tuesday 14th July, Bishop Paul spoke in support of a private member’s motion putting forward the appointment of a lead bishop to advocate for the more than 80,000 looked after children in England, care leavers and carers.

After the debate, members of the Synod voted unanimously in favour of the motion, which had been brought by Billy-Jo O’Leary.

To hear what Bishop Paul said on the topic, watch the video below or scroll to read his full transcript. You can also find it in the full recording of General Synod, Tuesday 14th, or read the Church of England’s coverage on their website.

I’m very grateful to Billy-Jo O’Leary for bringing this Motion and for speaking with such passion about her own experience. I’m also pleased to speak in wholehearted support of the Motion to ensure the needs of children and young people in care are increasingly at the forefront of the church’s attention. There is a compelling and unmissable biblical imperative not only to express concern but to pursue justice and to work to make a difference.

On a personal level, with my wife, we have been local-authority foster carers for 14 years. During this time we have had the privilege of learning to look at the world through the eyes of some remarkable young people, some of whom we remain in touch with as adults. Their struggles, their achievements, their resilience, their gifts have been an inspiration to us and enriched our life as a family. Unsurprisingly, it also continues to shape my outlook and ministry as a bishop, living so closely and daily with the reality of the struggle and hopes of those we share life with, through many highs and lows.

During my time in the House of Lords, I have sought to use the role I have there to convene and participate in conversations which bring together care-experienced young people, with practitioners and policy-makers. Hearing stories is important, but we need to combine listening well with acting decisively, but not simply over what governments and local authorities could be doing better, but what the church can do to make a bigger difference.

The most significant potential I believe we hold, is as the local church present in every community. Fostering and adoption is a demanding responsibility and it’s perhaps why over the past five years the number of fostering households across the UK has continued to decline, while the need is increasing. The Fostering Network’s State of the Nations report highlights that the main reasons for this includes ‘a lack of support from their fostering service,’ which are under immense strain, but most significantly, ‘due to burnout or poor wellbeing related to fostering’.

Here is where the church can make a real difference, not only to those within our congregations who are foster carers, but also to support all in their community and those who work as care professionals.

What a diocese can do is help create a culture that celebrates what local churches are doing, but it can also broker important partnerships, even strategic ones, with local communities and with local authorities.

Engaging in this priority can transform the kind of church we become as we share life and as we share God’s living hope with the very ones who are closest to his heart and precious to him.

I urge Synod to support this Motion, and commit ourselves to do more together.

We are grateful to the national Church of England for the recording of General Synod July 2026. Watch recordings of all sessions here and read more written coverage here.