How much you could earn as a foster carer

Earn up to £3,350 per month as a foster carer

 

If you're considering fostering, join our team of incredible foster carers and you could change a child’s future.

You’ll receive a competitive fee for your time, experience, and skills and an allowance to cover the costs of caring for a child. On average, a foster carer receives around £1,700 per month for each child they look after.

If you care for children with more complex needs, you could receive up to £3,350 per month. We’ll also provide you with further allowances and an extensive support package.

Request an information pack

Fostering allowances and fees:

We provide foster carers with:

  • a weekly fee, ranging from £100 - £550, for each child you care for
  • a weekly allowance, ranging from £189 to £278 for each child you care for (depending on their age)
  • mileage for trips to meetings, training, and journeys for children in your care
  • additional payments for birthdays, religious festivals, holidays, clothing, uniforms, and rites of passage
  • further allowances if you care for children with disabilities

Read more about the current fostering allowances and fees.

Support package for you and your family

Our extensive support package includes:

  • 14 nights' paid respite care per financial year
  • a dedicated social worker who will visit you regularly
  • a daily duty worker for when your social worker is not available
  • support outside of office hours, including weekends
  • support from clinicians and wellbeing professionals
  • mentoring by local and experienced foster carers
  • free and local training (see below)
  • regular social groups and events for foster carers to meet up and support each other
  • support for your own children including training and activities
  • detailed background information about the children we ask you to care for
  • opportunities to meet with managers to share your ideas and feedback
  • an annual celebration and awards event

Personalised training package 

We provide a free comprehensive training package, through face-to-face and online packages, for all foster carers. This includes:

  • a preparation to foster course and first aid training
  • an induction during your first year of being a foster carer
  • local, ongoing training, based on your needs and the children you care for

Benefits of fostering with us

Our fostering service is a not-for-profit agency. We work with foster carers, children, families, and children’s social workers so we can quickly, efficiently, and accurately share information with those that need it. This means there is no middle agency to deal with.

Benefits include:

  • a discount card for days out, holiday parks and much more
  • a family membership to the Fostering Network with access to helplines, discounts, networking opportunities, events, an online community, and other areas of support

Foster carers are also entitled to qualifying care relief with a generous tax threshold. Find out about how your tax and National Insurance are affected, from the Fostering Network or read about tax support for foster carers from the government.

Interested? Request an information pack or a callback

Request an information pack

Telephone: 0300 300 8181

Read more about the myths around fostering

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We’re part of Foster East, partnering with other councils in the south east to support foster carers and help children thrive.

Learn more about Foster East