Conservative county councillors are calling on the council to increase the payments they make to in-house foster carers in Hertfordshire.

Currently, there are around 647 Hertfordshire children who are living in foster placements – either within the county or beyond. However, the cost of each placement is not the same.

According to the county council, there are currently around 310 children living with in-house foster carers and a further 156 living with 'kinship' foster carers, who are relatives or 'connected' persons.

These placements typically cost the county council up to £679 a week, including around £479 carer payment and staff on-costs of up to £200.

But 181 children are living in independent foster placements. And these cost the county council around £1,363 a week – around double the cost of an in-house placement.

On Tuesday (February 17), the "significantly higher fees" paid to independent fostering agencies were highlighted at a meeting of the full council, in a motion submitted by Conservative Cllr Paula Hiscocks.

Pointing to rising placement costs, increasing numbers of children in care and a shortage of foster carers, the motion said that recruiting and retaining more in-house foster carers was the most cost-effective and stable way to meet children's needs.

It would also reduce the council's reliance on independent fostering agency placements and improve placement stability.

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The motion cites other authorities that have increased their foster carer fees to remain competitive and to reduce their dependence on the independent agencies.

And it calls for a review and uplift of fees and allowances paid to Hertfordshire's in-house foster carers, so that they are competitive with neighbouring authorities.

It also calls on the council to model the financial impact of increasing in-house foster care pay against the projected savings from a reduced reliance on independent placements.

And it calls for a recruitment and retention plan for foster carers in the county, which it says should include improved financial support, training, respite and wrap-around services.

The motion was presented, but not debated, at a meeting of the full county council on Tuesday (February 17).

And it will now be forwarded to the council's children's social care cabinet panel for consideration.

The executive member for children's social care, Cllr Anthony Rowlands, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that reducing the use of independent foster agencies was "a priority".

He highlighted initiatives in Hertfordshire that already aim to increase recruitment and to move children from residential care to foster care.

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He said: "First and foremost, I want to express heartfelt appreciation to all our foster carers who provide stable, supportive and nurturing homes to our young people.

"Along with our dedicated and hugely professional team of social workers, they provide a service of which Hertfordshire can be justifiably proud.

"Of course, there is always scope for doing better. Reduced use of independent foster agency placements is a priority.

"Our HELP programme to recruit more of our own foster carers already sees us on target to recruit 32 new fostering households in 2025/6 compared with 21 in 2024/25.

"Our innovative NEST project to move children from costly residential care is also on target, as is the Emergency Foster Carers scheme, which reduces the resort to costly residential care.

"Hertfordshire is also a leading player in the enhanced regional co-operation which underpins the government's desire to see more new foster carers being recruited."