Councillors in Flintshire set to approve 50% council tax discount scheme for local authority foster carers

Members of Flintshire’s Cabinet will be asked, later this month to approve the introduction of a 50% Council Tax Discretionary Discount Scheme for foster carers, to take effect from April 2020.

The council says that one of its key objectives is to ensure there are enough local authority foster carers to provide care for local children. 

Foster carers in the county provide vital to the support needs of young people in care and provide family based substitute care in a safe environment.

Children who are looked after are often extremely vulnerable and the role of foster carers is critical to their protection.

Carers sometimes choose to foster for private fostering agencies because agencies can offer a better rate of payment due to the enhanced rate they charge local authorities for placements.

The council says it is difficult to compete against private foster agency rates, by offering a Discretionary Council Tax Discount it aims to provide a more competitive financial package to local authority foster carers.

Flintshire County Council’s Chief Officer for Social Services, Neil Ayling, said:

“This is another example of how innovative Flintshire County Council is – the advantages for the family are evident.  There are benefits for the Council too – the cost of offering a 50% discount to foster carers in Flintshire (£92k) could be recouped should only three children be placed with in-house carers for a 12 month period rather than external fostering agencies.

“Introducing this scheme in April 2020 will make the Council one of only two local authorities in Wales to offer such a scheme.”

For more information about fostering in Flintshire click here: https://www.flintshirefostering.org.uk/en/home.aspx