Deputy Leader and Finance Spokesman for Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats has today slammed the Conservatives at County Hall for refusing to get a grip on the spiralling cost of agency foster care placements.

Cllr Stanbra said “Over the last few years the biggest pressure in the Council’s budget has been the use of agency foster carers instead of in-house foster carers. This basic mistake is costing the tax-payer millions of pounds every year. Despite the Liberal Democrats raising this repeatedly, the Conservatives at County Hall are refusing to listen. Their complacency is astonishing. Year on year Northamptonshire taxpayers’ money is being wasted.”

“Even though agency foster placements have grown more quickly than in-house provision, the Conservatives are content to spend the minimum to “maintain the current interest”. It boggles the mind. Why are Northamptonshire Conservatives refusing to acknowledge the massive problem? This is financial incompetence writ large. The Conservatives must get a grip and stop wasting so much public money.”

“It’s really important that vulnerable children have a safe and secure home. I’ve been a foster carer myself. But the Conservatives are failing to manage the budget properly. In-house foster carers are just as able of providing a loving home. All the Council needs to do is commit to recruiting more foster carers directly rather than using expensive agency placements.”