Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of raising the National Minimum Allowances for Children in Foster Care.

The National Minimum Allowance (NMA) is routinely uplifted each year, taking into account changes in inflation and what is affordable for local government. This year we have uplifted it by 12.43%, resulting in an increase of between £17 and £30 in allowances per week per child.

Local fostering service providers are responsible for setting the allowances paid to foster carers and should review their rates each year and set out a clear policy on what their foster carers can expect. Whilst these allowances will vary in accordance with local need, they should cover the costs for caring for a child. The Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards, issued by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, under the Care Standards Act 2000, set out the expectations that are placed on foster carers and their agencies. These standards include that all foster carers receive at least the national minimum allowance plus any agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with them (standard 28). More information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192705/NMS_Fostering_Services.pdf.