More money to get people in Swindon into fostering
The money is coming from existing budgets and savings.
More than half a million pounds is being spent to get more people in Swindon into fostering.
Swindon Borough Council is trying to encourage more people to consider fostering looked-after children.
The money is coming from existing budgets and savings - and will bring the allowances paid by Swindon into line with other similar councils.
Councillor Paul Dixon, the cabinet member for children’s services told the cabinet: “In a recent fostering finance survey in Swindon 81 per cent of the foster carers that answered believe there should be additional incentives for supporting children with more complex needs.”
He said there were fewer foster parents in Swindon than five years ago: “Swindon has a reduced pool of local foster carers in relation to what is needed. In March 2018, there were 305 children living in foster care placements out of 359 looked after children – a rate of 84 per cent.
By March 2023 the proportion of looked after children living in foster care had reduced to 60 per cent – that’s 205 children living in foster care out of a children looked after population of 338.”