Petition National Minimum Fees (NMF) for Foster Carers (FC)

The Department of Education (DfE) publishes national minimum allowances for FC in England, and the Health and Social Care trusts in Northern Ireland also use these figures. The Welsh Government publishes national minimum allowances for FC in Wales. This allowance covers the cost of looking after children in the care of a FC. However the DfE does not publish NMF for FC, which means that fees vary widely across the UK, most fees being paid at below the national minimum wage (even when working on the premise of a 40 hour week), with some LAs/IFAs paying no fee at all. No other profession that works with children is expected to do so at below the national minimum wage or without any pay at all.

I believe that FC should be paid a fee and that there should be a statutory requirement to provide FC with a NMF. This fee, based on the recommendation by the Fostering Network, should be set at a level that is comparable with children’s residential social workers.