Foster Carer Pay & Benefits

Choosing to become a foster carer is a big step. It can be a life changing decision that has an impact on every aspect of your day to day experience. That being said, many choose to foster because of the amazing benefits the role offers you and your family.

It differs from traditional careers where you may work a 9-5, in fact, for foster carers, the job is full-time! However, the strong focus on the family setting means that you can carry out your work from the comfort of your own home, looking after vulnerable children in all the ways you would expect including school runs, meetings, and all of the other joys and challenges of raising a child!

Foster carer pay

Whilst fostering is unlike any other profession, it is still treated as a career and therefore you are paid for your hard work. All of our foster carers are highly skilled and are dedicated to providing a safe, nurturing, and healing environment for their foster children where they can learn, grow, and flourish. As trained professionals, we believe that foster carers are owed a fair wage.

Foster parents are paid an allowance for each child that is in their care. The allowance covers the basic costs of caring for a young person including their food, clothes, bills, and additional costs such as holidays, pocket money, and days out.

In addition to this, you are also paid a professional fee. This is paid in recognition of our carers’ talent, dedication, and commitment to the role and the amazing qualities that each of them bring to the team.

Your allowance is paid directly into your bank account every 2 weeks. The amount will vary depending on how many children you care for and the complexity of their needs. Carers also qualify for certain tax relief benefits, find out more by asking your fostering advisor how it applies to you.

“Be There To Care” scheme

Family Fostering Partners’ new “Be There to Care” scheme is another benefit we are offering prospective carers to help them in the transition to becoming a foster parent. We know that leaving employment to pursue foster care can be a scary time without the assurance of a monthly paycheck, but we don’t want this to deter new carers who could bring something amazing to the role.

That’s why we launched our new scheme to support foster parents before they receive their first placement. The scheme allows people to receive a weekly payment for a duration of up to 10 weeks whilst our professional link workers work on matching a vulnerable young person to your family. We hope this helps to cover living expenses and provide financial support to you during the transition.

Why do people choose to foster?

People choose to foster for many reasons. It’s a fantastic role that offers many benefits and allows you to do something incredible at the same time, giving back to the community and making a difference in the world.

Some of the reasons include:

• The rewarding nature of providing a lifeline for a vulnerable person.
• The chance to grow your family and meet new people.
• To learn from foster children and their experiences.
• To become part of a community of carers who support each other.
• To have the opportunity to watch a young person grow, and to play a huge part in that.
• To be able to work from home and enjoy a fulfilling family life.
• To give back to the local community

Fostering with Family Fostering Partners

If you decide to join our team, we are here to support you. We provide a full training programme as well as all of the support, advice, and guidance you need to succeed within the role. Paired with our generous fostering allowance and rewards, we intend to provide the complete package to new foster parents who are looking to start a new career in this field.

If you’d like to speak with a professional advisor to find out more about us as an independent agency or the role in general, please get in touch by selecting an option from the buttons below.