ANGRY foster carers have slammed a new pay offer from Redbridge Council as 'a joke' and are preparing to take to the streets in protest.

Families from across the borough will hold a silent demonstration outside Ilford Town Hall on Wednesday, November 4, to oppose the proposed weekly increase - which is significantly lower than that recently awarded to carers in neighbouring Barking and Dagenham.

Redbridge Foster Carers Association voted unanimously to reject the offer, which would see a £90 rise for families caring for youngsters aged 16 to 18 on top of the £315 a week pay they currently receive - but smaller increases for those looking after younger children.

Kevin Meehan, chairman of Redbridge Foster Carers Association, said his members' current average hourly pay works out as just 49p an hour - and that every family deserved to get the £90 rise not just those looking after children in the oldest age bracket.

He said: "Redbridge foster carers hope this protest will highlight the unjust and unfair treatment that they receive as service providers for Redbridge Council.

"This unique action is being undertaken by the foster carers after years of not being listened to, respected or taken seriously as professionals by Redbridge – in effect being an organisation without a voice."

Foster mum Sarah Mehmet of Youngs Close, Barkingside, said Redbridge Council's pay offer was 'crazy.'

She said: "What they're offering is not nearly enough. It's a joke.

"A £90 rise should be introduced across the board. How can you say someone fostering a teenager is a harder job than fostering a younger child?

"Babies are just as challenging in a different way. All children have their own unique needs and provide different challenges for foster parents.

"We are child care professionals doing a hard job, and we deserve to be paid properly for doing it. This is crazy.

"That is why we are sticking together and protesting against this."

Councillor Gary Monro, cabinet member for childrens services said: "We know that there are foster carers in the borough who welcome this pay increase and who are not willing to take part in this protest.

"It has also not helped that our rates have always been broadly competitive until other boroughs started trying to outbid each other to grab foster carers.

"This puts Redbridge in line with or greater than all neighbouring boroughs with the exception of Barking and Dagenham which receives significantly more funding and income than Redbridge.

"The increase would see foster carers of children up to the age of four receive an additional £60 a week, a further £70 a week for carers of five to 10-year-olds, £80 a week for carers of 11 to 15-year-olds and £90 for carers of 16 to 18-year-olds."

The increase is due to come into effect from April 2010.