Barnsley Council paying more than £12,000 a week for some children’s care placements
Barnsley Council is paying more than £12,000 a week for some of its most complex children’s care placements, as demand continues to outstrip the supply of foster carers and specialist homes.
A report to cabinet said that at the end of March 2026, 21 children were living in placements costing more than £8,000 a week. Those placements cost an average of £12,090 a week, up from an average of about £10,000 for 13 children a year earlier.
The figures come as the council revealed its children’s services faced £10m of financial pressures during 2025-26, driven largely by the rising cost of caring for vulnerable children.
The authority had expected to be looking after 372 children by the end of the financial year but the actual figure was 410.
It had also planned for 65 children to be placed in external residential homes or with independent fostering agencies. Instead, the number reached 145.
Council officers said Barnsley remained heavily reliant on external residential homes and independent fostering agencies because of a shortage of in-house foster carers, particularly for older children and those with more complex needs.
The report said the council continued to recruit foster carers, but described the shortage as part of a national problem, with competition for specialist placements pushing up costs.
The authority said it was investing in more local provision and reviewing its commissioning arrangements in a bid to reduce its reliance on expensive external placements.