Fostering leave

Benefits for county council staff who foster

We are now a Fostering Friendly Employer which means we have improved our offer to staff who are foster carers including increasing paid leave. This applies to all LCC employees, excluding teaching and non-teaching staff employed by schools, who are:

• Applying to become foster carers.
• Approved foster carers.
• Approved mainstream or kinship foster carers currently providing a home to a child (or have done so for at least 75% of the previous 12 months) or offer flexible fostering arrangements (e.g. short breaks, weekend fostering).

Up to 15 days additional paid leave

For staff who foster with Lancashire County Council, up to 15 days additional leave is available for training, meetings, urgent care, and other fostering responsibilities.

Prospective foster carers and staff who foster with independent fostering agencies or other local authorities will be entitled to an extra 5 days paid leave.

Paid fostering leave is available in any 12-month period as follows (this is pro rata for part-time employees):

1. Prospective Lancashire County Council foster carers: Up to 5 days (37 hours) paid leave for training and assessment relating to their fostering application.
2. Approved foster carers for Lancashire County Council: Up to 15 days (111 hours) paid leave.
3. Approved foster carers for Lancashire County Council for less than 75% of the year and who are not kinship carers: Up to 5 days (37 hours) paid leave.
4. Non-Lancashire County Council foster carers: Up to 5 days (37 hours) paid leave for training and meetings relating to their fostering application/assessment or approved foster carer role.

For queries on which type of leave applies, contact the Fostering Service at fosteringrdsdevelopmentteamduty@lancashire.gov.uk.

Requesting fostering leave

Requests for fostering leave should be submitted on Oracle Fusion by selecting the 'fostering leave' absence type and specifying the amount of leave being requested.

If leave is requested that exceeds the fostering leave entitlement employees and managers should discuss what other options are available.

Managers are encouraged to support requests for fostering leave wherever possible, especially for urgent fostering needs.

Benefits and support

Other benefits include our comprehensive training and 24/7 support offer, and competitive payments to help you in your role. We have increased our payments to foster carers, try the calculator tool on our website to see if fostering could work for you and your family.

Find out more

We have children from babies to teenagers in need of a stable and loving home. Join our friendly fostering community today and make a difference to a local child.

Enquire today or call our friendly fostering team on 0300 019 0200.