English council can charge parents of children in care half the cost | Social welfare

A cash-strapped English council is considering charging parents of children in local authority care half the weekly care costs.

Derbyshire County Council said “unprecedented financial challenges” meant it was left with little choice but to “maximise alternative sources of income” to ease the burden on its childcare. The weekly fee ranges from £90 to £113 depending on the age of the child.

The charity Family Rights Group said the move would increase tensions between parents and social workers and undermine attempts to keep families together, potentially leading to higher long-term costs.

The Conservative-led council said asking parents to contribute to the cost of care would encourage them to fulfill their parental responsibilities and help reduce rising demand for care services.

The fees would apply to children taken into care under voluntary agreements with parents, rather than children taken into care under court orders. Under the Children Act 1989, councils have the power to charge parents, but this is rarely used.

Section 20 of the Act generally allows children to be placed in local care on a short-term basis if a parent is temporarily unable to provide safe care. This typically occurs when a parent is very young, has learning difficulties or mental illness, or when a teenager’s relationship with their parent has broken down.

Although the few local authorities known to have a fee policy do so sparingly as part of family provision rather than as a source of income, the main reason for Derbyshire’s proposals appears to be its precarious financial situation.

A council paper setting out the rationale for the proposal, which will be considered by council leaders later this month, said: “The council is currently facing unprecedented financial challenges which are impacting on the council’s ability to to meet demand for services.”

It continued: “The council is under severe financial pressure and funding from more established sources is not sufficient to cover the costs of delivering services. Therefore, maximizing alternative sources of income is vital if council tax is to remain at acceptable levels and benefit cuts are to be minimised.”

Local politicians have warned that unsustainable increases in the cost of social care for children and adults will result in local authorities becoming “care agencies” at the expense of “useful” services such as libraries, parks and youth clubs.

Like many other local authorities, Derbyshire is implementing a major austerity program as it struggles to balance its books. In April the company announced plans to close 10 of its 22 children’s centers as part of a £30m austerity package. The majority of the additional spending is on social care for adults and children.

The council estimates that families with around 28 children per year would fall within the scope of the policy. You would be asked to cover 50% of the weekly care costs, which would be between £89.60 and £113.35 depending on the child’s age. Parents who receive means-tested benefits are not charged. The council’s latest figures show 280 children aged 0 to 15 were cared for in Ward 20.

Council documents estimate the measure would raise around £165,000 a year – a tiny sum in the context of a projected £13m overspend on children’s services and protection and an estimated £20m gap in the overall budget.

Julie Patten, Derbyshire Cabinet Member for Families and Children, said: “Although we have no legal obligation to fund this type of care, we have been prepared and able to do so in the past, but unfortunately we find ourselves “Now in a situation of unprecedented financial challenges.” This means that we need to think about changing our contribution to care policy.”

Critics have argued that the current system can be abused by parents who are happy to provide the state with permanent foster care for their children when they have fallen out with them or cannot control them. The typical cost of a carer’s allowance is around £1,000 per month.

However, Cathy Ashley, the executive director of the Family Rights Group, said in most cases this was not the case. “The idea that parents are using the system as a ‘babysitter’ is wrong. I know parents who face a variety of challenges and there are good reasons why their children cannot grow up in their care.”

She said a fee policy would put more pressure on parents “who were already at their wit’s end” and potentially undermine family relationships, pushing the local authority further into costly care procedures.

A government spokesman said: “We understand the financial challenges facing local authorities and that is why we are committed to working with them to create a system that provides better life chances for our most vulnerable children.”