€40k foster placement cost disparity

The €40,000 disparity between the cost of placing a child in care through a private foster care agency as opposed to foster carers registered directly with Tusla is to be examined by an Oireachtas committee.

The commitment was given yesterday by Jim Daly, chair of the joint oireachtas committee on children and youth affairs, after hearing placements through private agencies cost the state an average of €58,000 per child per year compared to €17,900 for children fostered by carers registered with Tusla.

The committee also heard foster carers are being asked to supervise access arrangements between children in their care and birth parents because of a shortage of social workers.