In January, Martyn Day (SNP) lead a debate on foster carer allowances and tax arrangements. This was in response to an e-petition raised by FosterTalk. The petitions committee selected the issue for a Westminster Hall debate and chose Martyn Day to lead it. We met with Martyn Day and briefed him on the issue. We also sent a briefing out to all MPs ahead of the debate.
Many of the issues we highlighted were raised in the debate. This includes the inconsistencies in how the NMA is met across the country, the postcode lottery of fees and allowances and the key findings of our allowances report.
One of the issues raised was the need for the NMA to reflect the full costs of caring for a child. As part of our #CostofFostering campaign we calculated the allowance rates that cover the full costs of caring for a child in foster care and supporting them to thrive.