Irish Foster Care Association – Statement Following Budget 2023

The Irish Foster Care Association is disappointed that foster carers received nothing in the budget announced yesterday.  The Irish Foster Care Association prepared a budget submission that was sent to all relevant Departments and Ministers in advance of Budget 2023.  This submission clearly outlined the challenges facing foster carers today and the need for urgent support for foster carers including:

• Increase in the foster care allowance by €100 per week
• Mileage costs to be covered from the point of leaving home – no excess
• An increase in the aftercare allowance to match any increase in the foster care allowance.
• A ‘one-off’ setting up allowance set at a minimum rate of €350 but going up to €500 per child/young person
• Access to the Back-to-School allowance extended to foster carers for the benefit of the children in their care
• Eligibility to the state pensions for foster carers

IFCA lobbied all Government Departments and met with the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands in the lead up to the budget.  Alongside this, foster carers and our members lobbied their local TD’s.

Speaking following the budget announcement, Catherine Bond, CEO, Irish Foster Care Association said: “The foster care allowance has not increased since 2009 and foster carers feel very let down by the State.  Foster Carers don’t have access to the back to school allowance, they have to pay mileage for access visits out of their own pocket and they can not access the State Pension.  This is not a situation that can continue and IFCA will be seeking an urgent meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister Roderic O’Gorman on behalf of our members and foster carers across Ireland.”

You can access IFCA’s budget submission here.