Vol. 515 No. 2
10 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children the rate of breakdown of foster care arrangements; the effect this breakdown is having on other areas of the child care system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5580/00]
The information sought by the Deputy is not currently available. However, the working group on foster care, which was set up to examine all aspects of foster care, has issued a questionnaire to all foster carers covering a wide range of issues, including the issue of breakdowns in foster care arrangements. I understand the result of this survey will be published and the group will make recommendations on this issue when it reports later this year.
I am concerned that all children in the care of the health boards receive the best possible care. This Government has shown its commitment to the further development of these services. It has invested an additional £55 million approximately in revenue in these services since 1998. The allowances for foster care have been significantly increased over this period. In 1997 the allowance for a child under 12 years of age was £57.75 per week, today it is £68.05 per week. In the case of a child over the age of 12, the 1997 allowance was £64.60 per week and today it is £75.35 per week. In 1998 a special bonus of £100 was introduced for each child in care at Christmas and this bonus was again paid in 1999.
In addition, six pilot projects in foster care have been launched. These deal with the recruitment and training of foster carers, relative fostering and fostering of children with behavioural difficulties.
It is this Government's policy to ensure the proper provision of the range of preventative, supportive, child protection and alternative care services, to provide a continuum of care for children in need and their families. This includes the further development of the foster care services and I await the report of the working group on foster care with interest.
Is the Minister aware of a recent report which shows that, in the UK, breakdown in foster care arrangements account for more than half the number of admissions to residential care units? On that basis does she accept there is a real urgency in terms of information gathering on our child care services? When does she expect the report to be available?
Two additional items of information are awaited. The questionnaire that will deal with the issues raised by Deputy Shortall will be published by the end of the year and the working group on foster care that is working on many of the issues relating to recruitment, training, relative fostering, the development of services, and so on will report by the end of May.
Will the Minister examine the possibility of recognising financially informal fostering arrangements that are quite frequent, especially in Dublin, where grandparents look after grandchildren? Could financial assistance be given to grandparents in such cases?
Working on the principle that the best place for a child is within a family and accepting that where children need care outside of their own family they should be cared for in another family, one of the aspects being looked at by the working group on foster care is the development of relative fostering referred to by the Deputy.
