Falkirk Council: Increase in payments for foster carers had been "a long time coming"

Members of Falkirk’s education, children and young people committee said they hoped that the rise would help families who are increasingly struggling with the cost of living.

In August, the Scottish Government and the local authorities’ umbrella group, COSLA, agreed to standardise the amount that is paid to kinship carers and foster carers across all 32 Scottish councils.

Most foster carers in Falkirk will get an increase through the new agreement and promises have been made that no-one will lose out because of it. The Scottish Government promised £16 million of funding to cover the cost nationally and Falkirk Council says their share of this is expected to fully cover the costs.

SNP councillor Fiona Collie, spokesperson for health and social care, said: “I know we have all listened to the foster carers in Falkirk about the challenges they face with the cost of living and it is a real challenge.”

Falkirk foster carers have recently spoken out about fees that have not increased for many years while the food and energy bills have soared.

Cllr Collie acknowledged that the change had been a “long time coming” and she welcomed the additional funding from the Scottish Government to improve rates, which will be backdated.

The council leader, Cecil Meiklejohn, said that while this agreement did not address all of the issues raised by foster carers, “it goes some way to help, particularly with the cost of living rise”.

Labour councillor Siobhan Paterson warmly welcomed the funding which she said was “invaluable”. She said: “I also want to thank all the kinship carers and foster carers we have who are literally changing the lives of our young people by offering a place of safety and security. The role is very challenging but it’s incredibly fulfilling.”

She said that she hoped the announcement might encourage more Falkirk residents to consider fostering and “open their hearts and their homes to children who need it”.

Independent councillor Laura Murtagh said she would like to see any extra money be used to help foster families take children they look after on holiday “as part of the family”.

She said that several foster carers had raised the prohibitive cost of taking a child on holiday and asked for more support to make this easier.