To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) the current number of children requiring foster care, broken down by Health and Social Care Trust, for each of the last five years; and (ii) what extra steps have been taken to ensure fostering has been facilitated during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

My department publishes the number of children in foster care in the annual publication “Children’s Social Care Statistics for Northern Ireland”, and sets out the yearly trend figures, broken down by HSC Trusts, in the separate document “Table 3.6 – Children in Care by Placement Type”.

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/childrens-social-care-statistics-northern-ireland-201920

Figures relating to year 2019/20 are the latest published figures.

Additional support of £1.39million has been provided to foster carer since the start of the pandemic. This provided for two 12 week periods of a 20% uplift in the food and household elements of the fostering allowance per child. In addition, at the start of the pandemic, each foster care household received a payment of £100 from the relevant HSC Trust to purchase educational and play material to assist with keeping children occupied whilst at home.

Schools have continued to remain open and provide supervised learning for vulnerable children, which includes those in foster care.

Electronic equipment was also provided to foster families to assist with both remote learning and supervised learning in schools. Further assistance with equipment is available via the HSC Trusts from the Education Authority.

Foster carers have also been offered Covid-19 vaccinations in the early stages of the programme.