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Alberta flip-flops on capping foster care payments

'This did not need to happen.' - Alberta cabinet minister Yvonne Fritz.

Edmonton (24 March 2010) - The Alberta government has abruptly reversed course on a plan to cap payments to foster parents of special needs children.

Just hours after the opposition New Democratic Party made public documents outlining details of the plan, the government ditched the idea, which would have saved an estimated $400,000. It also issued an apology.

The issue came to light when NDP MLA Rachel Notley held a news conference to unveil documents outlining the proposal, which would have affected Edmonton foster families of children with severe medical or behavioural problems.

Moments later it was announced by Yvonne Fritz, the Alberta minister of children and youth services, that the plan had been scrapped.

Claiming she had been unaware of the initiative, she said there was no need for a cap because foster care had been granted an extra $1 million in the last provincial budget. "This did not need to happen," she added.

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