Written answers

Monday, 9 September 2024

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Social Welfare Benefits

Photo of John McGuinnessJohn McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1346.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the long-term State supports and benefits paid to foster families from his Department; to outline the increases to these payments in each of the past five Budgets; if his Department and the Department of Social Protection have ever carried out an analysis of the supports required by foster carers including financial support; if the stay-at-home foster parent will be acknowledged by way of qualifying contributions for a State pension; if there is an individual care plan for each person being fostered both during and after the period of fostering; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34253/24]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The administration and payment of the statutory foster care allowance and associated payments to foster carers falls under the remit of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

My Department resources Tusla to provide alternative care services, including the foster care allowance. It was a priority of mine to secure a meaningful increase to the foster care allowance in this year’s Budget in order to support the vital role being carried out by foster carers.

In Budget 2024, from 1st January 2024 the rates of the foster care allowance increased by €25 per week, up to €350 per week for children aged under 12 and €377 per week for those over 12. The foster care allowance will be further increased in November 2024, up to €400 per week for children aged under 12 and €425 per week for those over 12.

If required, Tusla can also provide additional financial supports to foster carers through either additional or enhanced payments. Additional payments refers to any payment made to a foster carer that exceeds the standard rate of the fostering allowance. Such additional payments may be made in respect of children or young people who have additional needs that are not covered by the standardised fostering allowance.

Enhanced allowances for foster carers can be made when a longer-term financial need is identified for additional supports for the child. A maximum of twice the weekly allowance may be paid in respect of children aged between 0-18 years if they require significant care over and above the needs of other children in foster care. This includes children who have been diagnosed with significant special needs and require a high level of personal care and supervision. The purpose of considering an enhanced allowance in these cases is to support foster carers in providing care to these children who have additional needs.

My Department regularly keeps under review the supports received by foster carers to ensure that they can adequately support the foster children under their care. I can assure the Deputy that I remain committed to working closely with my Government colleagues and relevant stakeholders, including Tusla, to seek to improve the suite of supports for foster carers. I am not aware of any analysis of the nature suggested by the Deputy which has been carried out by the Department of Social Protection.

I am aware that eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory) is an area of serious concern for foster carers. I can inform the Deputy that officials from my Department and I have met with the Minister for Social Protection, and officials from her Department, to discuss the issue of State Pension (Contributory) eligibility for foster carers on a number of occasions. I can further advise that officials from my Department are currently engaging with their counterparts in Tusla on this matter.

Further, the Department of Social Protection held an online information session in May of this year to provide foster carers with information about eligibility for the State Pension (Contributory), and other schemes which that Department operates, which may be of interest to foster carers.

In respect of the Deputy’s question in relation to care plans, I am conscious that Tusla has a statutory obligation to prepare a care plan for each child and young person in foster care under the Child Care Act 1991, as amended.

Tusla also has a statutory obligation to provide an aftercare plan for each young person leaving care who is eligible. Care leavers, depending on need, may be allocated an aftercare worker, and all care leavers, without exception or age limit, can attend drop-in centres organised by the Tusla aftercare service.

Aftercare plans are informed by an assessment of need carried out prior to the young person leaving care. The aftercare plan sets out the assistance that may be provided by Tusla to the eligible person from the age of 18. Specifically, the Child Care Act 1991 as amended states that any assessment of need shall include an assessment by Tusla of the needs (if any) of the person being assessed in relation to: education, financing and budgeting matters, training and employment, health and wellbeing, personal and social development, accommodation and family support.

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