City Fostering Costs Rise By £3m In Five Years

The cost of providing foster care in Edinburgh has grown by just under £3 million in the last five years. Figures released under Freedom of Information laws show the council’s expenses for fostering jumped from £5.6m in 2001/02 to £8.4m in 2005/06.

This is for all the staff costs and includes a 20 per cent rise in fostering maintenance and adoption allowances.

A recruitment drive to attract more foster carers was launched last year after it was revealed there are around 40 children waiting for a foster carer and 20 children seeking adoption in Edinburgh.

There are about 850 children currently being cared for across the city, and the campaign has been designed to reach people from all walks of life.

The council hopes its drive will attract a wide range of people, particularly men and women aged in their 20s to 50s, people from all ethnic backgrounds, homeowners or those who rent and people who are single, married or living with a partner.

Full-time carers can earn up to £20,000 a year, according to the council, which has received a grant from the European Social Fund to attract and help unemployed people to become carers.