The invaluable work carried out by foster carers has been recognised by Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet with a significant increase to their allowances, as well as a proposal for full council-tax relief for foster carers.

Carer’s allowances will be increased from an average of £290 per week to £560 per week with immediate effect. The Council’s cabinet has also recommended that the carers of looked-after children receive full council‑tax relief from April 2027.

These policies aim to increase the availability of local care placements and reduce reliance on expensive, and sometimes out of county, agency placements.

With the number of children looked after in Ceredigion increasing from 85 children in March 2021 to 149 children in September 2026, it has never been more important to ensure that carers receive allowances comparable to other local authorities and independent foster agencies (IFAs).

The Welsh Government has committed to eliminating profit from the care of looked-after children, arguing that care services should operate on a not-for-profit basis.

In Wales, local authorities ultimately pay for all foster placements, whether the child is placed with a council foster carer or through an IFA.

However, IFAs have often been able to offer more competitive financial packages, creating recruitment challenges for local authorities such as Ceredigion.

Using in-house foster care and local foster placements wherever appropriate can significantly reduce costs for the local authority.

Recruiting and retaining more local authority carers means that children are more likely to be placed closer to their home communities, schools and support networks, reducing reliance on more distant placements purchased from independent agencies.

Cllr Alun Williams, the Cabinet Member responsible for social care, said: “The new arrangements will also contribute to the Welsh Government’s ultimate aim of eliminating profit from children’s care. Paying our local foster carers substantially more is a bold move but one which we think will pay dividends in the long term.”