A DESPERATE shortage of foster parents has left the system on the verge of collapse.

Fir Street children's home in Ramsbottom is being closed in a last-ditch bid to tackle the crisis. Lack of reward and huge pressures on volunteer families means they are not coming forward to take needy children. Bosses will spend the money saved by the home's closure to boost payments to potential fosterers. The problem is made worse by private agencies which are recruiting parents by offering them many times the amount of money that the council can pay.

Officers and carers alike say the situation has worsened dramatically since the Children's Act, which places a far greater burden on foster carers. Because of staff shortages, there are no children living at Fir Street at the moment: the building is being occupied by the Outreach service.

It could be sold to meet general council cuts, or let to residents on the Peel Brow estate who want to set up a community centre there. Places will be moved to Chesham Fold children's home in Bury, where there are extra beds, or to the Ribchester Drive home.

Mr Jim Wilson, assistant borough social services officer, spelled out the grim news to councillors at Tuesday's (November 25) committee. "I urge you to take this step because we won't have foster carers otherwise and will be taken hostage by outside agencies," he said.

Once the supply of foster parents dries up, the department will be forced to spend a fortune placing children with private agencies, which charge the council up to £750 a week and pay their own foster carers anything up to £450.

Social services admit they cannot compete with that, nor can they rely on people's goodwill alone. Only ten foster carers have been recruited in the last three years, and more are giving up after their first placement.

Since the Act, carers are spending much time going to court, writing reports, attending case conferences and even going on holiday nearby the child's natural parents to ensure they have rights of access.

Members have now agreed to pay foster carers, who currently receive just a small maintenance allowance, the same as community parents, who originally took in potentially troublesome teenagers. They say the job these days is the same, and justifies the extra £116 fee.

Officers say staffing levels will be better at the remaining children's homes, and further savings will pay to set up a new crisis response team to help families with problems sooner.

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