Welsh foster care shortfalls prompt commissioner to intervene

The children’s commissioner for Wales Peter Clarke has
called on the assembly to investigate how many English children are
being fostered in Wales, and whether it is reducing the number of
foster parents available to care for the principality’s own
looked after children, writes Derren
Hayes.

Clarke has asked the Welsh Assembly to look at the problem as
part of its ongoing review of fostering services nationally.

It follows concerns raised by local authorities that an increase
in the number of private fostering agencies attracting carers with
better allowances, and rates of pay is reducing the pool of carers
available to local authorities.

English councils increasingly turn to private agencies to place
children with Welsh-based carers, prompting Clarke to call for the
issue to be addressed.

Research by the Fostering Network has revealed that Wales is
short of 700 foster placements, with a number of Welsh councils
reporting long delays in finding placements for children in
care.