Appeal for foster care support

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A MOTHER is appealing for better support for a couple who took in her daughter when she was no longer able to care for her.
The women was too unwell to continue raising her daughter, now aged 15. Rather than seeing her go into council care, her friends Stephen Padgham and Donna Raynes have been bringing her up over the past two-and-half years.
But because it is a private arrangement the couple from Knaphill do not receive the automatic financial support from Surrey County Council that official foster parents do.
Public fostering involves children who are in the care of the authority being placed with a family selected by the council but private fostering is an arrangement between the parents and the new carer.
Now the girl's mother who does not want to be named is asking for more help for those who take on responsibility of a youngster in such circumstances.
She said support should automatically be given to people who take on private fostering arrangements to stop more youngsters having to be placed with people they do not know.
She said: Stephen and Donna should be entitled to the money that public foster carers get they are no different to the others.
The situation is awful because I am ill and unable to look after my child. I only get a small amount of money and once I have paid the bills there is nothing left.
I would help out if I could but it is painful to see Stephen and Donna struggle without the help of social services.
While social services have a legal duty to ensure the welfare of the child and visit the couple regularly to monitor her safety, the couple say they have only received Pfund265 to look after her since May 2005. Most of that was for school uniforms earlier in the year.
Official foster carers receive up to Pfund326 per week per child over the age of 11 but the couple have been told they should go to the girl's mother for money.
The situation has become more difficult since Mr Padgham had a stroke four months ago and had to give up work.
Miss Raynes said: It is not all about the money things were okay until Steve had his stroke but it seems as though the council is penalising us for trying to help.