Do foster carers get paid?

• Foster parents are paid an allowance, this covers the costs of looking after the child and includes a professional fee for their time and effort.
• Carers are also subject to certain tax exemptions by the government, this means carers benefit from reduced tax rates.
• If you have any concerns about money and payments, friendly staff at Family Fostering Partners will be able to advise you.
• We have a brand new #BeThereToCare scheme. This will enable new foster parents to be available to take a placement by offering financial aid during the transition between being approved to foster and being matched with their first child or young person.

Whilst fostering is all about delivering care at home, you are not expected to do this for free. Fostering is recognised as a professional career. You are providing a nurturing and safe environment, and devoting lots of your time to the task. It is only fair that you are compensated for the important work that you do.

When you receive a child into your home you will be paid an allowance. This allowance will cover all the basic costs of looking after a child such as food, clothing, bills etc. However, this money is also expected to cover additional costs such as leisure activities, holidays, pocket money and any other kinds of activities or rewards you would expect for a child. On top of this, you are also paid a professional fee, this is in recognition of your time, dedication and skill.

Our fostering allowance is paid fortnightly directly into your bank account, and the amount will vary depending on the child in your care and the complexity of their needs.

Your Supervising Social Worker, who works with you during the assessment, will help you identify what children or young people you are most suited to caring for. This will depend on your skills and experience, on the size of your home, and your family composition. You may wish to be assessed for and approved to look after more than one child and you will receive a fostering allowance for each child you care for.

Family Fostering Partners will always try to match children as best as we can with foster parents. This ensures that a happy and comfortable relationship develops between the cared for child and the carer and that the child’s needs are well met. 

Whilst our carers do not take on the role simply for the monetary reward, it is worth remembering that fostering is classed as self-employment and HMRC allows various tax exemptions or tax relief for foster carers. Details of these will be explained during the application process but if you wish to find out more, information can be found directly on the GOV.UK website by clicking here.

If you are considering becoming a carer, but are worried about the financial side of things, we have a brand new scheme #BeThereToCare. Click here for more information about the scheme, or give us a call on 03300 948816 as we would be happy to explain more and put your mind at rest.