The Fostering Network has launched our bi-annual State of the Nation survey which seeks to gather the views of foster carers regarding a range of issues affecting fostering across the UK.

As well as developing key themes from the 2014 State of the Nation report, this year's survey focuses on a number of issues such as:

• decision-making
• financial support
• placement instability
• health issues
• consistency of social workers.

The survey closes at the end of September, with the report based on the survey's findings being released towards the end of the year.

Kate Lawson, policy manager, said: 'Our State of the Nation survey is an extremely important piece of work when it comes to hearing from our foster carer members and ensuring that we can bring transformative change to the fostering sector. We will take the main findings of the survey and use them to help us influence the agenda and create change through the media, and by bringing them to the attention of national and local decision and policy makers. We will be making recommendations to ensure that foster carers are enabled to provide all fostered children with the best possible care and help them to fulfil their potential.

'We would encourage all foster carers to take the survey. The more people who complete the survey - which should take about 15 minutes - the more we will be able to advocate  for the change we need to see.'

You can take the survey here.