Councillor Amy Foster
Email: amy.foster@croydon.gov.uk
Council: Croydon
Council Profile: View on council website
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Positions, Voting Record & Activity Summary
Amy Foster's council service, particularly in recent years, highlights a consistent and evolving focus on the well-being and development of children and young people. While her engagement spanned multiple years, her contributions in 2025 as Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People were particularly pronounced and detailed.
Key Themes and Priorities:
Across her council service, Amy Foster has consistently prioritized issues related to children and young people. In 2025, this manifested as strong advocacy for:
- School Placements and Youth Safety: She voiced significant concerns regarding the adequacy of school placements and the safety of young people.
- Provision of Safe Spaces: A key concern was the insufficient availability of safe spaces for youth.
- Early Intervention and Public Priorities: Foster has advocated for increased investment in early intervention strategies, emphasizing alignment with public needs.
- Financial Management in Education: She has critically examined financial aspects, such as overspends in high-needs education and delays in establishing crucial services like family hubs.
In 2024, her focus on early years funding and its impact on nurseries demonstrated a similar concern for the foundational stages of child development.
Evolution of Focus:
While her underlying commitment to children and youth appears consistent, her role and the specificity of her contributions have become more prominent and detailed in 2025. Her position as Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People in 2025 allowed for more direct and critical engagement with policy and service delivery, moving beyond attendance and general participation to specific critiques and advocacy.
Most Significant Contributions (Especially in Recent Years):
Foster's most significant contributions were concentrated in 2025, particularly in April. Her direct criticisms and advocacy regarding:
- Delays in establishing family hubs.
- A significant overspend in high-needs education.
- The need for greater investment in early intervention.
These points indicate a deep dive into the operational and financial challenges within the children and young people's portfolio. In 2024, her question about the early years funding formula at the Scrutiny & Overview Committee meeting was a notable contribution, showing an early interest in the financial underpinnings of early childhood services.
Patterns and Consistent Areas of Interest:
Amy Foster demonstrates a sustained interest in the financial health and effective delivery of services for children and young people. Her engagement consistently touches upon the practical implications of council decisions on these vulnerable groups, whether it's funding formulas, the availability of safe spaces, or the efficiency of educational provisions. Her participation, while varied in its recorded detail across years, consistently circles back to ensuring the best outcomes for the youngest members of the community.
Yearly Activity Timeline
Throughout 2025, Amy Foster was actively involved in council and board meetings, though her direct contributions were most prominent in April. As Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, she voiced strong concerns about school placements, youth safety, and the insufficient provision of safe spaces. Councillor Foster criticized delays in establishing family hubs and pointed out a significant overspend in high-needs education, advocating for greater investment in early intervention and aligning with public priorities. While she attended numerous meetings across March, May, June, July, September, and October, her specific participation beyond apologies or attendance was primarily noted in April.
Monthly Activity in 2025
During October 2025, Amy Foster attended one Council meeting on October 22nd. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her during this meeting.
Meetings in October 2025
Council - Wednesday, 22nd October, 2025 6.30 pm - 22 October 2025
Amy Foster was listed as an attendee of the Council meeting on October 22nd, 2025. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her in the provided documents.
During September 2025, Amy Foster attended the Corporate Parenting Board meeting on Wednesday, September 17th. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her during this meeting.
Meetings in September 2025
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 17th September, 2025 5.15 pm - 17 September 2025
Amy Foster was present as a member of the Corporate Parenting Board at the meeting on Wednesday, 11 June 2025. No specific statements or actions by Amy Foster were recorded in the provided documents.
During July 2025, Amy Foster attended two council meetings: the Extraordinary Council Meeting on July 10th and the regular Council meeting on July 16th. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her in the minutes of either meeting.
Meetings in July 2025
Council - Wednesday, 16th July, 2025 6.30 pm - 16 July 2025
Amy Foster was present at the Council meeting on Wednesday, 16th July, 2025. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her in the minutes.
Extraordinary Council Meeting, Council - Thursday, 10th July, 2025 6.30 pm - 10 July 2025
Amy Foster was present at the Extraordinary Council Meeting on July 10, 2025. No statements or actions by Amy Foster were recorded in the minutes or the public reports pack.
Amy Foster was present at the Corporate Parenting Board meeting on June 11, 2025. No specific statements or actions were attributed to her in the provided document.
Meetings in June 2025
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 11th June, 2025 5.15 pm - 11 June 2025
Amy Foster was present at the Corporate Parenting Board meeting on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. No specific statements or actions were attributed to her in the provided document.
During May 2025, Amy Foster was noted as being present as an apology for the Annual Council meeting on May 14th. There is no record of her speaking or taking any action during this meeting.
Meetings in May 2025
Annual Council, Council - Wednesday, 14th May, 2025 6.30 pm - 14 May 2025
Amy Foster was noted as being present as an apology for the meeting. There is no record of her speaking or taking any action during the meeting.
During the April 16th, 2025 council meeting, Councillor Amy Foster, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, expressed significant concerns regarding school placements, youth safety, and the lack of safe spaces for children and young people. She criticized delays in establishing family hubs and highlighted a £1.2 million overspend in high-needs education. Councillor Foster advocated for increased investment in early intervention and supported a Labour amendment, believing it better represented public priorities. She urged the Council to improve its support for children and young people.
Meetings in April 2025
Council - Wednesday, 16th April, 2025 6.30 pm - 16 April 2025
Councillor Amy Foster, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, voiced significant concerns about school placements, youth safety, and the insufficient availability of safe spaces for children and young people. She specifically criticized the delays in establishing family hubs and pointed out a substantial £1.2 million overspend in high-needs education. Councillor Foster advocated for greater investment in early intervention strategies and endorsed the Labour amendment, stating it more accurately reflected public priorities. She concluded by urging the Council to enhance its support for children and young people.
During March 2025, Amy Foster sent apologies for absence from the Corporate Parenting Board meeting held on March 27th.
Meetings in March 2025
Corporate Parenting Board - Thursday, 27th March, 2025 5.20 pm - 27 March 2025
Amy Foster sent apologies for absence from the Corporate Parenting Board meeting on Thursday, 27th March, 2025.
Amy Foster was noted as an apology for absence for the Corporate Parenting Board meeting on February 19th, 2025. There is no record of her saying or doing anything in the documents for this meeting.
Meetings in February 2025
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 19th February, 2025 5.20 pm - 19 February 2025
Amy Foster was noted as an apology for absence for the Corporate Parenting Board meeting held on 27 November 2024. There is no record of her saying or doing anything in the documents for the 19th February 2025 meeting.
Throughout 2024, Amy Foster demonstrated her engagement with council proceedings by attending several key meetings. In July, she actively participated in the Scrutiny & Overview Committee meeting, raising a pertinent question about the early years funding formula and its potential impact on nursery deficits. She also sent her apologies for absence from the Corporate Parenting Board meeting in the same month. Earlier in May, she was present at the Annual Council meeting, and in October, she served as a reserve member for the Appointments & Disciplinary Committee, though no specific contributions were recorded for these latter instances.
Monthly Activity in 2024
During October 2024, Amy Foster attended one meeting of the Appointments & Disciplinary Committee on October 4th as a reserve member. There is no record of her speaking or taking any action during this meeting.
Meetings in October 2024
Appointments & Disciplinary Committee - Friday, 4th October, 2024 10.00 am - 4 October 2024
Amy Foster attended the meeting as a reserve member. There is no record of her speaking or taking any action during the meeting.
During July 2024, Councillor Amy Foster attended the Scrutiny & Overview Committee meeting on July 8th. In this meeting, she inquired about the omission of the early years funding formula from the report, positing that its absence could be a contributing factor to nurseries experiencing deficits. She also sent her apologies for absence for the Corporate Parenting Board meeting on July 31st.
Meetings in July 2024
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 31st July, 2024 5.30 pm - 31 July 2024
Amy Foster sent her apologies for absence for the meeting held on 1 May 2024.
Scrutiny & Overview Committee - Monday, 8th July, 2024 5.00 pm - 8 July 2024
Councillor Amy Foster attended the Scrutiny & Overview Committee meeting on July 8th, 2024. She questioned the absence of the early years funding formula in the report, suggesting it might be a reason for nurseries facing deficits.
why there was no reference to the early years funding formula in the report, highlighting that this may have contributed to the nurseries being in deficit.
During May 2024, Amy Foster was present at the Annual Council meeting on May 22nd. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her in the meeting minutes.
Meetings in May 2024
Annual Council, Council - Wednesday, 22nd May, 2024 6.30 pm - 22 May 2024
Amy Foster was present at the Annual Council meeting on May 22, 2024. No specific statements or actions were recorded for her in the provided minutes.
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
24 meetings · Page 1 of 5
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 4th February, 2026 5.15 pm, NEW
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 28th January, 2026 5.15 pm
Council - Wednesday, 10th December, 2025 6.30 pm
The Croydon Council meeting on 10 December 2025 addressed several key issues, including fair funding for the borough, the Equality Strategy, and the appointment of an interim chief executive. The council voted to support fair funding for Croydon and approved the appointment of Elaine Jackson as Interim Chief Executive. An amendment to the Equality Strategy annual report was approved, with Councillor Rhea Patel of the Green Party, successfully arguing that the council can do better
.
Corporate Parenting Board - Wednesday, 26th November, 2025 5.15 pm
The Croydon Council Corporate Parenting Board met on Wednesday 26 November 2025. On the agenda was a discussion of the performance report for October 2025, a thematic focus on housing, and the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) service annual report. The board was also scheduled to receive updates from the Children's Participation Team and the Children in Care Council.
Council - Wednesday, 22nd October, 2025 6.30 pm
At a meeting of Croydon Council, the lead commissioner gave a statement on behalf of the commissioners, the council approved recommendations regarding external audit findings and extension to the term of the Independent Chair of Audit and Governance Committee, and councillors debated traffic calming measures on Spa Hill and improvements to Courtwood Park. The council also discussed a range of questions from the public, including concerns about building safety at The Fold and Malcolm Wicks House.
Decisions from Meetings
1 decision
Statutory Officers' Report
From: Extraordinary Council Meeting, Council - Thursday, 10th July, 2025 6.30 pm - July 10, 2025
...to note the Statutory Officers' report regarding the Secretary of State's minded to
letter concerning potential statutory intervention and the appointment of Commissioners due to best value duty concerns.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 24
Average per Month: 1.1
Decisions Recorded: 1