The Fostering Network hugely welcomes the passing of the Promise Bill (Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning)) (Scotland) into law. The bill contains changes that will directly improve the lives of foster carers and care experienced children and young people in Scotland.
Our members, including our foster carers advisory board and young people’s board worked directly with MSPs to raise several of the changes. We are grateful to Martin Whitfield MSP for supporting us to table several amendments to the bill, which led to the changes below, and for the support of Nicola Sturgeon MSP. We also gave evidence to the committee and are delighted to see so many of our recommendations reflected in the final bill. We are also grateful for the continued leadership of Natalie Don-Innes MSP in championing the bill.
As a result of our campaigning, Scotland will be the first nation across the UK to enshrine an annual uprating duty on fostering and kinship allowances in in legislation and require services to publish their payment rates. This is something foster carers have long asked for so allowances can keep pace with rising inflation and the cost of living. It will also increase transparency between services.
We are also pleased the Government accepted another amendment we tabled to ensure fostering services must publish separate allowance and fee rates as foster carers find this is currently unclear. This will enable carers and prospective carers to accurately budget and ensure payments made by different services can be compared.
We are delighted that the bill extends Continuing Care for young people in foster care to up to 26, if it is necessary for the young person’s welfare. Again, this is something we have long campaigned for and is incredibly important for the young people and foster families we support. This will ensure young people can stay with their foster families as long as they need to and benefit from the vital support and stability this provides.
Another crucial step in the bill is the introduction of a right for any young person eligible for Continuing Care to return to care if they wish. This will mean that young people in care can choose to return if they face difficulties living independently or realise they are not ready to move out, if their foster carer agrees. We hugely welcome this amendment which goes to the very heart of the Promise, ensuring care experienced young people get the same support and rights as their non-care experienced peers. We are grateful for Martin Whitfield and Nicola Sturgeon’s support on these amendments.
Finally, the bill introduces a pilot for an independent register of foster carers which we greatly welcome. We look forward to working with the Government and foster carers to shape this as it develops. We were pleased the Government accepted amendments we worked on to ensure data collected in the register of foster carers is proportionate and carers will be able to access their own data.
Paul Sullivan, Director for Scotland said: “These are life changing amendments for young people in foster care, giving them a right to stay with their foster families and return if they choose to. This recognises the critical importance of consistent, loving relationships.
“The bill also helps give foster carers the financial stability they need to provide exceptional care and support. We are incredibly proud to see Scotland leading the way on foster care allowances and care experienced young people’s right to Continuing Care. This bill is a landmark step in Scotland’s journey to keeping the Promise.”
