Allowances and Payments
How much do foster carers get paid?
As a foster carer for your local council, you’ll be paid by the local council you work for. The amount you receive is based on the number of children and young people in your care and other factors such as their needs and age.
All of our partners pay the Government National Minimum Allowance for the age of the child, which is between £154 and £270 per week. The fostering allowance is there to cover the care of the child. This is expected to cover food, utility costs, clothing, transport, recreational costs etc.
As a Fostering South West foster carer, you will receive a weekly professional foster carer fee, recognising specialist training and skills progression of foster carers.
Do I have to pay tax?
As a foster carer, almost all income from fostering is exempt from tax, thanks to Qualifying Care Relief from the Government. The Qualifying Care Relief (2023) gives households a tax exemption on the first £18,140 they earn from fostering.
You will also get tax relief for each week or part week a child is in your care, further reducing the tax paid on any fostering earnings above this amount.
Will I get paid when I don’t have a placement?
Unfortunately, you will only get fostering payments and allowances when you have a placement. However local councils will always aim for you to have minimal time without a child or young person wherever possible.
Will fostering impact my benefits?
If you are in receipt of benefits, you will not automatically lose those benefits if you become a foster carer. Unless you are claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance. Whilst you do not receive Child Benefit for children staying with you, you will instead get a fostering allowance for their care. Your fostering income should not stop you from receiving housing benefit or impact the child benefit you receive for adopted or birth children in your family.
Eligibility
Do I have to own my own home?
You do not need to own your own home to foster. You can live in a privately rented or council-rented property, in a house or a flat. We will carry out a standard safety check on your home to assess its suitability for fostering.
Can I foster if I don’t drive?
Not all of our local councils require you to be able to drive to become a foster carer but some will. Being a driver can really help for the day to day activities of fostering. The children and young people staying with you will usually be from your local area and we recognise the value of using public transport. But you will need to consider how school age children will get to school, which may be a few miles away.
You will also be responsible for transporting any babies, children or young people in your care to any medical or other appointments. Depending on contact arrangements, you may also need to help facilitate visits with a child’s birth family.
Can I foster if I have health issues?
Physical or mental health issues will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a foster carer. What is important is that you are fit and emotionally healthy enough to provide stable care and support for a child or young person. Each prospective foster carer must have a medical assessment with their GP. The report will be ongoing and used by local council medical assessors to assess whether any on-going health issues may impact on your capacity to care for a child or cause a deterioration in your health.
Can I work and be a foster parent?
In some cases it is possible for you to continue working, depending on your individual circumstances and the nature of your work. Your work must fit around the needs of the child and the hours you work may determine what kind of fostering you are able to do.
Some local councils will require at least one carer to be home full-time for a pre-school aged child to be placed with them. If fostering older children, your work will need to be flexible enough to allow you to attend meetings which may be during the day and be available if any emergency arises.
Each case will be discussed on an individual basis during the assessment process with your chosen local council.
Children in care
What types of children need fostering?
There are a host of reasons why children may need foster care. It may be because of a family illness, family breakdown and problems at home, or a situation they are at risk. Many will have experienced neglect and physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
Can I choose what age I foster?
We need foster carers for children from just a day old up to 18 years of age. Right across the south west, there are babies, toddlers, primary school aged children and teenagers in need of safe and stable homes.
You will discuss any preferences to foster particular age groups as part of your initial conversations and assessment. As part of your fostering assessment, your social worker will explore the type of fostering you and your home is likely to be suitable for. If you are approved as a foster carer, the fostering panel will recommend which age groups and how many children you are approved for. As you become more experienced, undergo more training or as your own circumstances change, this may change and evolve.
Am I responsible for day to day decisions about the child?
As a foster carer, you will have some decision making responsibility for the children and young people you look after. However, in most cases, the child’s own parents will share legal responsibility with the local authority. The length of time you’ve spent with the child, your relationship with them, alongside other factors can also play a part in the decisions you may be allowed to make on behalf of the child.
Your social worker will outline in writing where and when decision making lies with you and where you will need your local authority to review. This way, you will know whether you have delegated authority for decisions like taking a child to get a haircut or to get immunisations. The Fostering Network has some good further reading about delegated authority.
The application process
How do I apply to become a foster carer?
Whether you’re brand new to foster care or a current foster carer considering a transfer to a local council in the south west, the very first step of your fostering journey is to get in touch with our Fostering South West team. You can meet us at one of our fostering events, call us now on 0300 456 0120, or complete an enquiry form via the link at the top of the page and we‘ll get in touch.
As an information and support team for local council fostering services across the south west, we inform and guide you through the initial application process for your local local council to then continue your fostering journey.
How long does the application process take?
Waiting to hear about big decisions can feel difficult. We want everyone to know the outcome of their application as soon as possible. The exact length of time will vary dependent on the local council you’re applying to, however they will work with you to ensure you move from each stage swiftly.
During this process, the Fostering South West team will be on hand to answer your questions and offer support, so you know what to expect and when. For foster carers transferring to work with Fostering South West partners the approval process can move more quickly.
Will my family have to be assessed?
Yes, all members of a household will be included in the fostering assessment process. We speak to all adults and children within the home because we need to understand how fostering would work for you and your family and make sure that it is right for everyone. Living alongside your own children can give children who are placed with you a valuable experience of family life.
Your children will need to share their parents with those coming into the home and may have questions or concerns that we can help with. The assessing social worker will consider all children’s feelings and needs as part of the fostering assessment.
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Want to find out more?
Get in touch with our dedicated fostering team to have a chat about any questions you may have, and about your potential future as a foster carer…