Paying the way

Foster carer pay is too low and unpredicatable and that is having a direct affect on the care young people receive, carers have said.

The amount of money carers receive varies hugely across the country.

Some receive just an allowance to cover the child’s living costs, others receive a fee on top.

Foster carers with multiple difficult children living with them can receive up to £60 000 a year.

Many carers, particularly those fostering with local authorities do not receive any money if they do not have a placement at a certain time, even if they want one.

Jean Dare has been fostering with Dorset County Council for nearly two years.

She says the lack of stability means she wants to keep her job and that is having an affect on the quality of care her foster children receive:

“I think I could do a better job if I wasn’t working as well,
because you have two hats on your head.

"Not being there when they come home from school is not good.”

Balancing Act

Dorset Council say they pay what they can. Ginny Daniels, manager of Dorset county fostering team said:

“It is a balancing act because obviously the finances of Dorset County Council are not infinite.

“We do pay allowances in line with the government’s recommendations, not the Fostering Network's recommendations though.

"We also pay a fee on top in recognition of their time and commitment,” she said.

Dr Derek Kirton researches foster care issues at the University of Kent and says there is a widespread feeling that carers are not paid enough:

“Generally there are more foster carers who would say their costs are not covered [by allowances] than those that would say they were. It has the capacity to generate a sense of resentment."

Dr Kirton's research shows more than two thirds of carers want foster care to be a full paid job, much higher than twenty years ago when it was seen as a voluntary task.