Fostering Allowances, Payments, Fees
Affording to foster - A Fostering Career
Fostering is no longer seen as a voluntary service. In order to recruit and retain foster carers, they need to be financially rewarded as any other workers in social care.
Local Authorities and Independent Fostering Agencies provide fees and allowances to enable foster carers to care for children and young people on a full-time basis.
Fostering Career
Can fostering children be a full time job?
Yes. It is usually expected that a foster carer will become available full time. Generally, the more available you are, the more foster care placements you will be offered.
Allowances - Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs)
IFAs have grown significantly in recent years to over four hundred in the UK. The growth has been due to the shortage of foster placements which caused a crisis in foster care recruitment. IFAs are regulated, inspected and required to work under the same legislation as Local Authority fostering providers.
IFAs do not subscribe to the Nationally recommended rates for each foster child as Local Authorities do. This means IFAs have been able to simplify their payment schemes to foster carers.
On average, IFAs pay a basic weekly fostering allowance and fee of £400 per week for all ages of children.
Some IFAs also pay foster carer enhanced payments of up to double their standard rate, dependent on the needs of the child, such as :
- Parent and child placements;
- Children with special needs;
- Remand placements.
IFAs tend not to make different foster care payments regardless of the type of fostering such as short term break placements and long term foster care placements.
Allowances - Local Authorities
The Local Authority fostering fees and allowances structure has Nationally recommended rates for each foster child. Foster carers are paid a weekly allowance to cover the cost of fostering a child or children.
The foster carers allowance is provided to cover the following:
household costs, food, clothes, travel, school dinners and any other things required to look after a child. The payment takes into account the fact that foster care for children cost more than caring for birth children.
Foster Care Payments
Local Authority payment structure.
The national minimum allowance rates for 2009/10:
Weekly rates
Babies Pre-primary Primary Secondary Secondary (16-17)
Base £106 £108 £119 £137 £159
South East £117 £120 £134 £152 £179
London £122 £125 £140 £158 £186
The national minimum allowance rates for 2010/11 are:
Weekly rates
Babies Pre-primary Primary Secondary Secondary (16-17)
Base £109 £111 £122 £140 £164
South East £120 £123 £137 £156 £184
London £126 £129 £144 £163 £191
The national minimum allowances are the base mimimum rates and these are used as guidelines by Local Authorities.
In addition to the fostering allowance other payments maybe made to foster carers, depending on their experience and qualifications. These payments maybe between £50 and £200 per week. Generally, Local Authorities pay their fostering allowances directly into the foster carer's bank account every two weeks. Local Authorities tend to have different allowances for short break foster carers.
As a potential foster carer, it is important that you find out about the financial aspects of fostering prior to your application to a Fostering Agency.
If you would like us to support you with an application to become a foster carer or you just require further information about foster caring, complete the foster carer enquiry form. Please read our statement of confidentiality.
Timescales
In our experience, Local Authorities take six months and Independent Fostering Agencies take an average of four months to complete the foster carer assessment. However Local Authorities are catching up.
More information...Foster care course
As your application proceeds you will be invited to attend a fostercare training course, most Fostering Agencies use the Fostering Network course called "Skills to Foster".
More information...Assessment
The fostering social worker will visit you and your family at home. It is important that you discuss fostering with your children at an early stage and check out how they feel about being part of a fostering family.
More information...
Print this page 
Top of page 