Kent County Council loses foster carer ruling
A grandmother has won the legal right to be paid as a foster carer for looking after her granddaughter. The woman, 64, referred to as "GM", took over caring for the 15-year-old, referred to as "A", at Kent County Council (KCC) social services' request. KCC had refused to pay her the same rate as a foster carer even though the child would have been taken into care in 2004 had she not stepped in. The High Court ruled KCC must pay GM £146 per week instead of £63. The grandmother will now receive the same payments that a foster carer with no family connections would.