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BAAF statement on Government plans to establish a national minimum fostering allowance

Issued: 29 October 04

Leading children's charity, the British Association for Adoption & Fostering has today welcomed the decision by the Government to establish a national minimum allowance for foster carers in England and Wales.

Felicity Collier, Chief Executive of BAAF, has said: "BAAF has long been campaigning for the establishment of a national minimum allowance for foster carers, and had supported the amendment currently before the Commons tabled by the Liberal Democrats.

"This move by Government is vital recognition of the important role foster carers play in giving some of our most disadvantaged children the opportunity of a stable family life. The crisis in recruiting enough foster carers means there has been very little choice of carer for children coming into local authority care in an emergency and many children are moved from carer to carer, often at a great distance from their family and their school, because no foster carer is available locally. It is not surprising that these children fail to do well at school, often have few friends and have so many difficulties later in life.

We believe most local authorities will welcome a clear benchmark below which allowances cannot fall even though it may be challenging to budgets. Local authorities must prioritise investment in ensuring stability for children for whom they are corporate parents.

BAAF is calling for a new ring fenced grant that will ensure that every local authority can increase its investment in vital fostering services. We ask the Government to set a timetable for the implementation of the new allowances. We hope all stakeholders will be involved in agreeing how the minimum allowance should be calculated."

Ends

Contact:

Felicity Collier, Chief Executive, 020 7593 2011, out of hours 01908 571273.
Gabriella Brooks, Media Manager, 020 7593 2053

Notes to editor

• The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) is the UK's leading adoption and fostering charity. For more information visit www.baaf.org.uk
• There are currently approximately 41,100 children and young people in foster care in England and Wales, yet there is a shortage of 10,000 foster carers.
• At present, allowances are currently paid to foster carers to cover the cost of looking after fostered children, however fostering services are free to set their own rates and as a result, allowances vary dramatically across the country from about £60 per week to £250.