Foster care providers call for clarity over emergency funding

Organisations have accused the Department for Education and local authorities of “bickering” over whose responsibility it is to fund foster carers’ extra expenses due to school closures.

The Adolescent and Children’s Trust (Tact) and the Fostering Network met with Children’s Minister Vicky Ford last week to press for “ring-fenced” funding for foster carers.

Tact chief executive Andy Elvin said: “We have been told by government that any extra funding should come from the £1.6bn pledged for local councils but the Association of Directors’ of Children’s Services (ADCS) and the Local Government Association (LGA) say that the money is not exclusively for children’s social care.

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“Once again, foster carers are the last ones to be thought of and are now essentially subsidising the state.”

Sector leaders also highlight that DfE guidance states that all children with a social worker are “encouraged” to attend school, adding that this applied to the vast majority of children in foster care.

However, Ford told the education scrutiny committee last week that all children with a social worker are “expected” to attend school, whereas Public Health England’s advice states that children who could be kept at home should be.

Elvin argues that this “further muddies the water” for foster carers, adding: “A lot of our foster carers are telling us that children are better off at home without the pressures of school, the academic pressure where they might not necessarily find it easy and the social pressure where they might have moved schools and find it hard to get involved with social group.”

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He said that this caveat means foster carers may miss out on funding to cover home-schooling due to a lack of clarity in the guidance.

Tact figures show that 10 per cent of the 650 children living with its foster carers are still at school – most that are attending are due to having significant behavioural or educational needs.

Harvey Gallagher, chief executive of the National Association of Fostering Providers, said many providers had told the association that children were “thriving” at home and were “building a great sense of self-confidence”.

“A lot of our providers are saying children are more settled in the home and have come into their own since schools closed, sending them to school where they might not be with their friendship groups and could feel 'different' could lead to further instability for children in foster care,” said Gallagher.

The ADCS said it is “concerning” if the number of vulnerable pupils attending schools is lower than hoped for.

The call for clarity around both education and funding comes after both Tact and the Fostering Network asked the government to provide foster carers with payments of £50 a week to offset the extra they are spending on food, education equipment and utility bills during the outbreak. They estimate this would cost £30-40m during the 13 weeks of the summer term.

Further concerns have been raised over the loss of income for foster carers who are unable to welcome new placements due to being classed as “at risk” from coronavirus.

Elvin said: “There are a small number of foster carers who are older or who have ill health so are unable to take on a new placement at the moment, however, they are not eligible for the furlough scheme. 

“This could be a real issue if fostering is their income or if another earner in the household has lost their income as a result of the virus.

“We want our foster carers to come back after this but there is a worry that they might not due to a lack of financial support from the government.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “Foster carers play a vital role in the lives of vulnerable children who cannot be cared for by their birth parents, providing a stable family environment. All foster parents are entitled to an allowance to cover the costs of caring for their foster children, which continues during the coronavirus outbreak.

“Schools and early years settings remain open for vulnerable children, including those in foster care, who are encouraged to attend where it is appropriate for them to do so. Local authorities can make decisions on where to allocate financial support, and the government has made £3.2 billion available to cope with pressures, including for children’s social care. On top of this, we are making an extra £12 million available for extra support for vulnerable children – including those in foster care - during this unprecedented time.”

ADCS and the LGA have been contacted for comment.