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Foster Carer Pay and Allowances

Foster Carer Pay

We know that caring for a child or young person can have financial impact. That’s why it’s crucial to understand Foster Carer pay. Some of our Carers leave their jobs to foster, so we believe it’s important to compensate them fairly.  

To support our carers, we provide a weekly foster care allowance made up of a professional fee and a living allowance for the child. 

How Much do Foster Carers Get Paid?

As an independent agency and a Social Enterprise, we offer a highly competitive foster care allowance.

For almost all Foster Carers, this will be tax-free and will not affect any benefits you may currently be receiving.  

two young girls

Foster Carer Pay and Allowances

  • Standard placement of one child or young person – £459.48 per week, per child. 
  • Specialist foster placements – payment based on the child or young person’s needs. 
  • Parent and child – £906.36 per week (one parent, one child), £1,193.22 per week (two parents, one child). 
  • Sibling – £906.36 per week (two children), £1,264.62 per week (three children). 
  • Respite – nightly rate based on the fee received by the main carer. 
  • Solution28 fostering (28-day placements) – from £646 per week (one child). Please note: this type of fostering is only available to those living in Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Bristol, Swindon, The Forest of Dean and surrounding areas. 

Additional Foster Carer benefits

Paid breaks: Benefit from 14 days paid break annually. 

Refer a friend payment: Earn £2,000 for recruiting new carers (£1,000 for Respite Carers). 

Birthday Allowance: £200 per child will be paid to you to support with celebrating their birthday. 

Festival Allowance: £200 per child per year to support with celebrating festivals such as Christmas. 

Welcome payment: £75 gift on first approval as a welcome.  

Re-approval Gift: You will receive a personalised gift from your Supervising Social worker worth £100 following re-approval. 

Blue Light Card: Enjoy discounts at various high street and out-of-town retailers and leisure venues. 

child with balloons illustrating foster carer birthday payment

Examples of Foster Carer Pay

Foster child

Elsa fosters one child, aged 7. Elsa receives £459.48 per week, equivalent to £23,958 a year. Including our festival payment, birthday payment and reapproval gift, Elsa would receive approximately £24,458.

Foster children

Tom fosters two sisters, aged 7 and 9. Tom receives £906.36 per week, equivalent to £47,257.61 a year. Including our festival payment, birthday payment and reapproval gift, Tom would receive approximately £47,757.61.

Key Points About Foster Care Allowance

  • Five Rivers provides generous allowances and substantial benefits that are unmatched by many other fostering providers. 
  • You probably won’t have to pay taxes on your fostering allowance, as income from fostering is supported by government tax relief programs.
  • Your fostering allowance doesn’t affect most state benefits. 
  • You’ll need to register as self-employed and pay National Insurance Contributions. 
  • You may also qualify for Working Tax Credit or other state benefits. 
Foster carers

Ask us about Foster Carer Pay

When talking to potential Foster Carers, we make sure they are interested in fostering for the right reasons, not just for the pay. We need Carers who are compassionate, warm, patient, and kind. Beyond the financial aspect, they should genuinely want to make a positive difference in a child’s life. 

However, it is important that Carers have financial peace of mind. We make sure that those considering fostering have the financial information they need to make an informed decision. For that reason, we want to reassure you that we are happy to answer any questions you might have on Foster Carer pay. 

At Five Rivers Child Care, we want our Foster Carers to feel secure in the level of support they receive – both in terms of practical training and financial reimbursement. Our support package provides carers with the peace of mind they need to do their job well – because that’s what really matters. 

Book a call

Give us a Call to Find Out More

Take the first step to transforming a child or young person’s life today and register your interest with our carer enquiries team to join the Five Rivers family.

Get in touch

Request a Call