PARENTS who put their children into care for whatever reason could be made to pay in the future.

Cash-strapped Worcestershire County Council is looking at possibly introducing a charging policy as more placements put pressure on budgets at a time bosses are trying to save up to £70 million by 2015.

Speaking to the Worcester News after a new strategy for looked after children was agreed by cabinet, Councillor Liz Eyre, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “There are a whole raft of reasons why children become looked after and some of the families can afford to pay.

“It’s worth considering. We owe it to the taxpayer. What worries me is if the charging policy has an adverse affect on young people.”

Documents that went before cabinet said: “Charging may be a deterrent where children and young people become looked after because their parents do not wish to continue to exercise their parental responsibilities but the social care assessment indicates that the child could be supported to live at home and the outcomes would not be different if they are looked after.”

Coun Eyre said it is a common misconception that it is just children from socially deprived families and backgrounds that enter the council’s care.

She gave examples whereby children could be abandoned due to a family tragedy, illness, alcohol, drug or domestic abuse, among other problems.

The number of children in the council’s care has been gradually rising over the last three years – from 479 in 2008 to 617 in September this year – for a variety of reasons including an increase in the number of referrals, better assessments, earlier intervention and a requirement that homeless 16 and 17-year-olds are now taken in, among other factors.

That has put more pressure on the budget and an extra £1.2 million has been put into this area in a bid to address the shortfall.

However, there are 27 more looked after children than there were in March when that was agreed.

As a result work is being done to explore all of the options around charging and Coun Eyre likened it to the policy which is being introduced for older people who get home care help – that is also aimed at targeting individuals who can afford to pay for the cost of care while those with little to no money are still funded by the council.