Our Approach to Financial Support

Corey Reynolds
Jul 29
3 min read

Money is likely not your first motivation for becoming a foster carer, but we know it matters! Feeling secure, prepared and supported means you can focus on what matters most: the child in your care.

That’s why we built our financial support to be reliable, but also flexible. It is informed by the needs of our 100+ existing foster carers and designed to help you thrive throughout your fostering journey.

Here is what it looks like:

A Fostering Fee that grows with experience

When you foster with us, you’ll receive a weekly fee made up of two parts:

A Foster Carer Payment that reflects your experience and commitment.
A Per-Child Payment based on the child’s age and needs.

To give you a better idea, most of our foster carers receive a total weekly fee of between £331 and £705. The actual amount you will earn depends on a few things, like how many children you care for, their ages and other factors.

Allowances that cover daily life - and the special moments too

Fostering allowances are there to meet the everyday needs of the child in your care, from clothing and school uniforms to travel and other essentials. They make everyday life a little easier, but also help you create those important, joyful moments. From small day-to-day needs to the bigger milestones worth celebrating, we’ve made sure this is covered. Here are some examples:

Help to celebrate those important milestones
- Providing a safe home is as important as making memories! We'll support you in doing that with up to £1,032 a year so that you can celebrate cultural holidays or visit exciting places with the children in your care.
Travel support allowances
- Whether the child in your care needs to go to a dentist or football practice, we’ll help make sure you can get them there with 45p/mile for all fostering-related journeys.
Discounts for fun times without financial worries
- You’ll be able to apply for the Blue Light Card and Max Card, giving you and your family access to fun activities, exciting attractions and everyday savings.
Other allowances
- We understand that new needs may crop up as the child in your care grows. You’ll be able to ask for more support, and we’ll do our best to help where we can!

14 days of paid annual leave

As a foster carer with us, you will be able to take 14 days of paid annual leave. We will arrange second-home care during that time, making sure that the child in your care is with another fostering family they know and trust. We want the child in your care to feel almost like they are on holiday with a trusted family friend, making sure that they feel just as supported and cared for as they do at home with you.

Tax free allowances

As a foster carer, you’ll benefit from generous tax relief on your fostering income. Many carers find that their earnings are either entirely tax-free or taxed at a much lower rate. You can find more information about fostering and tax relief in our downloadable financial support guide.