Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of foster care allowances in covering the cost of raising children.

There has been no recent assessment of the adequacy of National Minimum Allowances for foster parents in covering the cost of raising children.

‘Foster Care in England’, the independent review of the fostering system and the Education Select Committee made a number of recommendations relating to the support foster parents receive, including financial support. We are carefully considering the recommendations made by both reports and the government response will be published in spring this year.