Dorset Council foster carers and supported lodgings carers now benefit from an increase to their financial payment of 15 per cent from 1 April with a further increase of 12.43 per cent being added to the allowance part of the payment.
Foster carers play a vital role in Dorset by providing care for children who find themselves in need of a home, through no fault of their own. The uplift in payments will help foster families cover the increasing costs of caring for a child in their home.
Councillors at the meeting, which agreed the increase, were presented with a report which outlined the need for foster carer payments to be increased to cover the rising cost of living and to ensure that the council’s foster carers are financially rewarded for the invaluable role they play for our children in care and care leavers.
Cllr Andrew Parry, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help, said:
“The role that Dorset Council’s foster carers play cannot be underestimated. It is important that they are suitably financially rewarded, so that we can retain their valuable skills and support for Dorset’s children.
“We want to support children and young people to stay at home with their parents and to avoid the care system where possible, but when there is sometimes no alternative, we need to be able to find homes for children and young people with local foster families so they can be close to their family, friends, their school and their pets.”
Children are best cared for in families which are close to home, so not only do foster carers and supported lodgings carers support the health and wellbeing of children and young people in their care, but people who foster with Dorset Council are also key to keeping young people in the county and near to everything the children are familiar with.
Cllr Parry added: “It makes financial sense to acknowledge the valuable work our foster carers and supported lodgings carers do, by increasing their payments. We hope it will also result in us using fewer out of county residential placements which are not such a good option for our children.”
In addition, foster care families in Dorset will benefit from even more support thanks to a partnership with The Fostering Network to deliver the global award-winning Mockingbird programme.
Mockingbird delivers sustainable foster care. It is an evidence-based model structured around the support and relationships an extended family provides. The model nurtures the relationships between children, young people and foster families supporting them to build a resilient and caring community.
Cllr Parry concluded: “We know that there is evidence that the Mockingbird programme really works to support foster families.
“The Home Hub carer builds strong relationships with everyone in the constellation, so families are better placed to support each other and overcome problems before they escalate. Best of all, the children have another trusted adult they can talk to if they are going through a tough time.”
Foster carers and supported lodgings carers will see the uplift in their payments from 1 April 2023.
If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer and the rewards it can bring, please visit www.fosterwithdorsetcouncil.com or call 01305 221000 for a no obligation chat.
