Financial support for foster carers
Our foster carers receive highly competitive allowances. Chat to our team about financial support.
While money is not the main reason most people choose to foster, we know you can’t do it without support.
We believe you should never be out of pocket.
Our foster carers receive a highly competitive allowance up to £29,000 a year, per child, which is regularly reviewed to help our carers provide the best care for our children.
What you could get paid
The amount our foster carers will receive depends on:
- the age of the child you are looking after
- any additional needs they may have
We offer starting allowances of between £276 to £414 per week, per child, depending on their age and needs. Our carers allowances increase when training is completed.
New foster carers
Depending on the child's age, new carers receive between £276 and £414 a week, per child.
Foster carers can receive up to £21,500 a year for fostering a single child.
With our approved training
We provide training for all our foster carers, whether they have experience or not.
Once our carers have completed their mandatory training, they will receive £86.50 more per week, for every child they foster.
Caring for children with high needs
Carers that foster a child with higher needs or a disability will receive an additional £57.50 more per week, on top of their usual allowance.
See our full details of financial support below.
Perks and benefits
In addition to our generous allowance, we have an exclusive perks and benefits package worth up to £10,000 to recognise the amazing work our foster carers do.
Your questions, answered
We know you may have questions, we're here to help answer them.
Payments are shown as per week.
| Child's age | New to fostering | After your training |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 10 | £276 | £362.25 |
| 11 to 15 | £356.50 | £442.75 |
| 16 and over | £414 | £500.25 |
| Child's age | Weekly payment |
|---|---|
| 0 to 10 | £419.75 |
| 11 to 15 | £500.25 |
| 16 and over | £557.75 |
You will understand the needs of the child better than us, so you decide how to spend the money, but it is expected to cover:
- food
- clothes
- heating and lighting
- pocket money (a specified amount depending on the child's age)
- dinner money
- leisure and social activities
- holiday costs
Additional allowances are paid to contribute to a child's birthday and religious festivals.
Training and travel expenses are paid for on top of your allowance, as well as support for essential items such as a bed or a car seat.
Income Tax
All types of foster carers are self-employed and receive a generous tax allowance on the income you receive from fostering.
This means households will not pay tax on earnings from fostering up to a maximum of £19,360 per year (and in some cases you won’t pay tax at all).
Find out more about tax exemption and tax relief for foster carers.
State benefits
Fostering allowances are unlikely to affect any state benefits that you receive. But you should let the organisation that you receive your benefits from know that you receive a fostering allowance.
You can get disability benefits if your foster child receives financial support due to a disability or health condition.
In addition to our generous allowance, we have an exclusive perks and benefits package worth up to £10,000 for our foster carers in recognition of the amazing work they do.
Get in touch
Reach out to our friendly fostering team.
You can call us or book a time and we'll call you back for an initial chat.