Foster carer shortage hits one in five Welsh children in care

A shortage of foster carers in Wales has risen seven per cent
since 2002, causing one in five children in public care to be moved
three or more times a year, according to the Fostering Network
(FN), writes Shirley Kumar.

Councils are also forced to place children outside of their local
authority border, causing major disruption to their lives. Wales is
now short of 750 foster carers.

FN spokesperson said: “The whole aim of fostering is to get
children back to their homes.

“We would like to think councils do talk to each other but in
reality that is not always the case, therefore a child can arrive
in a new area, not have a place secured at a school as well as
being far away from family and friends and that is very
disruptive.”

The shortage in Northern Ireland has remained the same since 2002
at 350.

The FN said the problem will not improve unless carers receive an
allowance that covers the entire cost of fostering. Last month the
Fostering Network found the shortage in England had topped 8,200, a
35 per cent rise since 2002.