£10m plus per year to care for children

IT costs the Western Trust £10m every year providing care to children in the formal care system, according to the Health Minister Edwin Poots.

By The Newsroom

Published 19th Nov 2011, 10:19 BST

The total cost over the past three years was £33,375,303 which was a lower amount than anywhere else.

The sum rose from £10,857,147 in 2008/09 to £11,435,502 in 2009/10 before falling back to £11,082,654 in 2010/11.

SDLP MLA Pat Ramsey had asked the Minister for details of the cost to his Department of providing care packages for children in the formal care system.

The bill across the entire Northern Ireland health service over the three years was £221,200,434.

The Western Trust figures “exclude costs associated with payments to voluntary bodies that receive funding for children in formal care settings and costs of children looked after in their own home where the child has a social worker, LAC reviews and support services” the Minister stated.