Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm that all local authorities are paying kinship carers the recommended national minimum allowances for foster carers as set out in the letter dated 12th January 2017 from the Enabling People department?
In 2016-17 we provided funding for the Fostering Network to undertake a study of the fees and allowances paid to foster carers by local authorities and independent fostering agencies across Wales. Kinship foster carers were not included in that initial study, but will be included in more detailed follow-up work in 2017-18, funded from the £400k we have allocated for implementation of the new Framework.
When that work is finished we should have an even greater understanding the factors that influence local authority decisions about the support provided to kinship and other foster carers. Our aim is to achieve greater harmonisation in the rates paid to all foster carers in Wales (including kinship foster carers).