Oldham’s foster carers have been left waiting months for a response after raising concerns about the cost-of-living with senior council figures.
Shaw representative and Liberal Democrat Opposition Leader councillor Howard Sykes MBE called the situation “shameful” as he and his colleagues called for answers on behalf of local foster carers. Oldham Council has so far been unable to provide answers to foster carers in the Borough who have raised concerns about making ends meet during the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. (See attached letter which is one of many councillors have received at the end of March/early April).
Councillor Sykes said: “This is an incredibly stressful time for foster carers who are rightly raising concerns about Oldham Council’s policy towards supporting them financially. Other local councils offer foster carers reimbursement through council tax exemptions and or through increased allowances but here in Oldham, the Labour administration has not made that support available.
“People provide foster care because they want to offer children and young people a stable and loving home and they deserve supporting in that. One foster carer who is a resident in my ward has been waiting since March for any substantive response to her questions and queries. Labour cannot call themselves a ‘listening council’ when clearly aren’t listening or even responding to such a crucial group of people as those who foster. This sort of inaction is shameful, and it is just the latest example that shows just how far this Labour administration need to go just to get the basics right.”