FOSTER carers may not have to pay council tax next year as part of a council scheme to encourage more people to foster.

Southend Council will discuss plans next week which could see foster carers offered extra financial perks including a 100 per cent council tax discount for properties up to band D from April 1, 2023.

Council bosses say the scheme will boost recruitment and save money by reducing the council’s reliance on costly independent fostering agencies.

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“There is a shortage of foster families in Southend and across the country and with the current economic outlook that is only going to get worse,” councillor Matt Dent said.

“This will both provide a saving long-term for the council, and I suspect many of these children would have a better time if they got to stay in the city with local foster families.”

There were 306 children in Southend Council’s care as of August 31 – a rate of 77 per 10,000 children (above the national average of 67).

Without sufficient foster families, the council has been forced to turn to independent fostering agencies to home 40 per cent of the borough’s foster children – costing £7.7 million annually.

The report, which will be delivered to cabinet on November 8, also recommends employing a dedicated training officer to help new foster carers as well as a series of financial incentives.

On top of council tax breaks, the council is considering increasing the weekly allowance for all carers by 10 per cent, providing £100 per child per year for religious or cultural festivals,, and £200 per child, per year, for their birthday.

The council claims the scheme could result in savings of up to £1.8 million a year by 2025/26.

Councillor Laurie Burton, responsible for children and learning, said: “With the rise in demand and the rising costs, we can appreciate that having an extra mouth to feed during a cost-of-living crisis, might be a lot to ask from foster carers.

“But the more in-house foster carers we have, the more stability we can give those children and young people in care, who can safely stay in Southend near their friends and school. It also saves the taxpayer money in the long run because the financial benefits we are suggesting foster carers should receive, is a fraction of what we currently pay to IFA.”