As a foster parent, you will receive regular payments to help cover the cost of caring for the child or young person in your care. The amount per child or young person, will depend on their age and will be paid weekly. This includes the maintenance fee for the child or young person and the professional fee for you.
| Age band | Weekly allowance for child | Weekly carer’s fee | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | £201.00 | 206.66 | £407.66 |
| 5-10 | £225.00 | £206.66 | £431.66 |
| 11-12 | £257.00 | £206.66 | £463.66 |
| 13-15 | £257.00 | £258.27 | £515.27 |
| 16+ | £299.00 | £258.27 | £557.27 |
Foster carers may also be eligible for an enhanced fee of £50.00 upon agreement with the manager.
Fostering allowance examples
| Allowance | Fee |
|---|---|
| Maintenance allowance for child | £225.00 |
| Professional fee for carers | £206.66 |
| Total weekly payment | £431.66 |
| Allowance | Fee |
|---|---|
| Maintenance allowance for child aged 4 | £201.00 |
| Maintenance allowance for child aged 16 | £299.00 |
| Professional fee for carers for child aged 4 | £206.66 |
| Professional fee for carers for child aged 16 | £258.27 |
| Total weekly payment | £922.15 |
Parent and child allowance
Fostering/CP allowance fee for the young person at the upper age level despite the age of the child = £299.00.
Professional fee for foster carers = £514.94 (professional fee of £258.27+ £206.66 plus enhanced rate of £50.00).
Total = £813.94/per week.
Additional holiday allowance will be paid based on upper age level despite the age of the child.
Savings for all young people is being taken at source and administered by the London Borough Bromley. This is £2.5 per week for 0-10 years and £5 per week for 11+.
Additional allowance
Foster carers receive additional payments all year long. For example, this can be for the child or young person’s birthday, Christmas or holidays.
| Age | Christmas | Birthday | Summer holidays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 years | £201.00 | £201.00 | £402.00 |
| 5-10 years | £225.00 | £225.00 | £450.00 |
| 11-15 years | £257.00 | £257.00 | £514.00 |
| 16+ years | £299.00 | £299.00 | £598.00 |
Foster carers receive up to 10 days additional professional fees if the carers take the young person on holiday.
Our New Horizons scheme offers £813.94 per week and our Staying Put scheme offers £376.00 per week. Foster carers are self employed, and you could still claim benefits and allowances. You will also be entitled to tax relief. You can find more information about HMRC tax relief and claiming benefits whilst fostering on the Government website. You can find more information about finances on The Fostering Network website.