Foster carers in Northern Ireland under paid, says charity

Foster carers in Northern Ireland receive allowances well below recommended levels according to research by The Fostering Network.

A survey by the charity reveals all 13 health and social services trusts in Northern Ireland pay just £75 a week to cover the cost of looking after the youngest child.

The charity recommends allowances start at £112 a week, a figure met by over half of local authorities in England and Wales.

It calls for the statutory fostering allowance system currently under consultation in England to be extended to Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland director Kate Lewis said: “We simply can’t go on, year after year, expecting foster carers to cover the costs of fostering from their own pockets.”

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