Foster carer allowances and rewards

You may be wondering, "how much do foster carers get paid?" We offer generous and competitive payments and rewards for our foster carers. Payments vary depending on the type of foster care and age of the child/children, and are paid fortnightly, on Wednesdays.

Weekly payments for our mainstream foster carers have two parts:

• Child allowance, to cover living costs, which varies depending on the age of the child.
• A foster carers fee, which is for your time and skill dedicated to foster caring.

We also pay an annual allowance for holidays, birthdays and religious festivals, based on the age of the child.

Allowances

Child weekly allowance

Age 0-4: £170
Age 5-10: £187
Age 11-15: £213
Age 16-17: £249

Foster carers weekly fee

Age 0-4: £229.01 per week
Age 5-10: £229.01 per week
Age 11-15: £274.81 per week
Age 16-17: £274.81 per week

Holiday allowance (annual)

Age 0-4: £425
Age 5-10:£467.50
Age 11-15: £532.50
Age 16-17: £622.50

Birthday allowance (annual)

Age 0-4: £170
Age 5-10: £187
Age 11-15: £213
Age 16-17: £249

Religious festival allowance (annual)

Age 0-4:£170
Age 5-10: £187
Age 11-15: £213
Age 16-17: £249

Yearly total (per child)

Age 0-4: £21,513.52
Age 5-10: £22,474.02
Age 11-15: £26,324.62
Age 16-17: £28,358.62

Example fostering scenarios and allowances

The annual fostering allowance that you receive will vary based on a number of factors, including the type of foster care you provide, the number or children you care for, their age, and the complexity of their needs.

Here are some examples of the typical annual allowance you could receive based on three different fostering scenarios:

 

Fee Plus payments

Fee Plus payments may be paid to those foster carers who look after children with significant additional needs, often associated with complex health and/or disability needs.

Fee plus is a payment foster carers may receive instead of the foster carer weekly fee, but in addition to their weekly child allowance payment.

There are 2 categories which makes foster carers eligible for Fee plus payments:

• Category 1 foster carers will receive a Fee Plus payment of £395.04 per week
• Category 2 foster carers will receive a Fee Plus payment of £458.02 per week

Parent and child fostering allowances

Parent and child foster carers provide a home for both the parent and their child. There are enhanced allowances to reflect the specialist skills needed by our foster carers.

Parent not looked after. Child aged 0-4yrs is looked after

Weekly Child Allowance: £572.52
Foster carers weekly fee for parent and/or child looked after: £170 for child
Weekly payment for parent not looked after: £2449
Weekly payment for child not looked after: N/A
Weekly payments: £991.52
Annual payment for holiday, birthday and religious festivals: £765
Annual payments: £52,324.04

Parent aged 17 and looked after. Child aged 0-4 not looked after

Weekly Child Allowance: £572.52
Foster carers weekly fee for parent and/or child looked after: £249 for parent
Weekly payment for parent not looked after: N/A
Weekly payment for child not looked after: £170
Weekly payments: £991.52
Annual payment for holiday, birthday and religious festivals: £1,120.50
Annual payments: £52,679.54

Both parent aged 16+ and child aged 0-4 are looked after

Weekly Child Allowance: £572.52 for parent. £572.52 for child: Total: £1,145.04
Foster carers weekly fee for parent and/or child looked after: £249 for parent. £170 for child. Total: £419
Weekly payment for parent not looked after: N/A
Weekly payment for child not looked after: N/A
Weekly payments: £1,564.04
Annual payment for holiday, birthday and religious festivals: £1,885.50
Annual payments: £83,215.58

Neither parent nor child are looked after. Short breaks or Staying Put plans

Weekly Child Allowance: £572.52
Foster carers weekly fee for parent and/or child looked after: N/A
Weekly payment for parent not looked after: £249
Weekly payment for child not looked after: £170
Weekly payments: £991.52
Annual payment for holiday, birthday and religious festivals: N/A
Annual payments: £51,559.04

Rewards

Sibling group placements

When a sibling group of three or more children are matched and placed at the same time, foster carers will receive an additional incentive one off payment of £1,145.50, after the children have been successfully fostered for two months.

Service awards

Our non-connected foster carers will receive a £1,145.50 post approval introduction payment, after successfully fostering a child with Lancashire County Council for two months.

We have also introduced the following long service award payments for foster carers who have fostered with Lancashire County Council for:

• 5 years - £573
• 10 years - £1,145.50
• 15 years - £1,718
• 20 + years at increments of 5 years - £2,290.50

Recommend a friend to fostering

We offer a word of mouth referral fee of £1,651.50* to any existing Lancashire foster carer or Lancashire County Council employee who recommends someone who then goes on to become a mainstream foster carer for Lancashire. The fee is payable to the referrer when the new foster carer is successfully approved and fostering a child for two months.**

*£1,651.50 paid directly via your LCC salary and subject to any payroll deductions, including tax, national insurance and student loans.

** The name of the Lancashire County Council employee or foster carer making the recommendation must be provided to the fostering team at the time of the initial enquiry or information visit to be eligible for this scheme.

Opportunities to contribute to the service

All of our foster carers have the opportunity to contribute to the service and take on voluntary roles to develop themselves and others. For example, attending a marketing event or contributing a case study for a marketing campaign, or being a buddy to another foster carer.

There are also some additional roles which our foster carers can receive extra payments for including becoming a trainer, mentor or sitting on an interview panel for recruiting new foster carers.

Transferring foster carers

We always welcome foster carers who would like to transfer from another authority or agency to Lancashire County Council.

If you have a Lancashire foster child in your home, we will match the payments in place. The matched payments will remain in place until the child leaves your home, is no longer fostered or turns 18 years old. The matched payments will only apply to the Lancashire child you had in your care at the point of transferring to us. Any placements that commence after transferring to us will be paid at the standard foster carer fee.

We're happy to answer any questions you have about money, employment or our payment system and allowances. Give us a call on 0300 123 6723 or complete our enquiry form to find out more.

Learn about our other benefits and support when you foster for Lancashire.