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Foster carers should be rewarded when placements go well rather than penalised by having their fees reduced, Community Care Live Children and Families in Manchester heard today.

Fostering Network chief executive Robert Tapsfield told delegates there was almost a case for “performance related-pay” for carers.

The conference heard that local authorities often reduce payments to foster carers and adopters if children settle down, leaving them in financial difficulty.

Baaf Adoption and Fostering chief executive Felicity Collier said paying foster carers a decent level of fees was the best way of addressing the national shortage.

She said: “Support and training are critical but the reality is there may be many more people out there who would consider being foster carers if they could give up their day job to do so.”

Collier said it was wrong for foster carers to have to claim income support between placements and argued they should be paid 52 weeks a year.