English council may ask parents of children taken into care to pay half of costs

Derbyshire authority proposes asking for up to 113 a week for children in care under voluntary arrangements

A cash-strapped English council is considering charging parents of children taken into local authority care half of the weekly cost of looking after them.

Derbyshire county council said unprecedented financial challenges" meant it had little option but to maximise alternative sources of income" to try to reduce the strain on its children's services. The weekly charge would range from 90 to 113 depending on the child's age.