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Home care homes in Britain face an "imminent crisis" due to lack of funding and support from the government, leaving caregivers demoralized, overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the complex needs of children vulnerable people they are dealing with, the experts warned.
The Fostering Network, a charitable organization representing host families, accused the government of neglecting host families, saying youth would not receive the support needed if families remained underpaid, ignored and ignored. undervalued.
The charity's report on foster families, read exclusively by the Observer, reveals that almost half of caregivers would not recommend foster care, and nearly two-thirds feel that the allowance and the expenses they can claim do not cover all the costs badociated with child care. Four in ten foster families receive no dues and less than one in 10 receives at least the equivalent of the national living wage for a 40-hour week.
The report also highlights the challenges faced by caregivers. Half were asked to care for an abusive, fleeing, self-injured child or having had a fight with the police, while a similar number was supporting a child with health needs. who did not have access to specialized support. Yet only four in ten caregivers reported feeling well supported by their local authority, with many reporting problems related to respite and out-of-hours care.
"We are facing a steady increase in the number of children in care at a time when financial pressures and shrinking budgets mean that local authorities are increasingly short of money," said the Director General. from the Fostering Network, Kevin Williams. "This can only lead to a demand for more services with less money, and subsequently to youth and host families who are not receiving the appropriate support to meet their needs. A crisis is coming – and the most disadvantaged people in our society and in our communities will suffer the most. "
Williams attributes this to the inertia of politicians, saying little progress has been made since the charity's last report two years ago. He wants a fundamental change in government funding for host families. "With the lack of funding available, we are already struggling to recruit enough host families," he said. "They do not feel valued and respected. Children in foster care are children who, according to the state, can not stay home because they are at risk. If we do not give priority to these children and do not meet their needs now, they will be very expensive adults in terms of mental health problems, homelessness, crime and unemployment. "
Anntoinette Bramble, deputy mayor of Labor Hackney and spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said that it was necessary to redouble efforts to ensure that host families receive support and badistance. the recognition they deserve and deserve, and urged the government to properly fund children's services in the next expenditure review. . "The boards have worked hard to protect the funding of essential services for children in care, including support from foster families, but this has become increasingly difficult due to budget cuts and the cost of living. A record increase in the number of children in need of care has pushed child care budgets to a deficit of £ 3.1 billion by 2025, "she said.
Nadhim Zahawi, Minister of Childhood and Family, said: "Last year, we committed to improving the support available to foster parents, including making sure they feel able to make the decisions necessary to support their children in foster care. sure that they have access to all the formal and informal support they need. We have worked and will continue to work with the sector on all the measures we have announced.
"In addition, we are testing new high-quality mental health badessments for children in care, using more than £ 33.5 million under the Protection Innovation Agenda." child welfare to improve support to host families, which includes peer support, and continue. fund Fosterline to provide a nationally independent and free online counseling service to current and future foster parents. "
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