Fostering - frequently asked questions
Why do children need to be fostered?
There are many reasons why children need looking after by foster carers, including parents experiencing stress in their lives, ill health, family breakdown, relationship difficulties and abuse or neglect of childrens needs etc.. the family situations are usually complex and there are often several factors which affect the parent’s ability to continue caring for their children.
What kind of children are fostered?
Children and young people from many different backgrounds and with a variety of individual needs are fostered. We need carers who can care for children from birth through to the teenage years. Some children may special care needs due to their ill health, behavioural issues or disabilities. We are particularly seeking foster carers from diverse ethnic backgrounds so that we can match children with carers whose backgrounds better reflect their own.
How can I find out more about fostering a child?
The best ways to find out more is to ask for an information pack, explore the websites, see useful links, and speak with professionals and foster carers who are involved in providing the service. You can request a visit from us if you wish to take your enquiry further after receiving written information.
Will I get paid for looking after a child?
The weekly rates for Fostering Allowances for the year 2009/10 are set out below and will be paid from 31st March 2009
Foster carers will be entitled to 56 “weekly” payments. The extra four weeks are to allow for expenditure connected with birthdays, Christmas or other religious festival and holidays.
| Age band | New Fostering Basic rates | Recommended rates for Pocket Money | Recommended rates for Clothing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | £123.69 | £1.88 | £8.65 |
| 5-10 | £140.91 | £3.12 | £10.58 |
| 11-15 | £175.35 | £6.78 | £14.91 |
| 16+ | £213.29 | £12.10 |
£18.14 |
Payment for Skills
| Level 2 Fee | £56.35 |
| Level 3 Fee | £112.70 |
| Level 4 Fee | £183.47 |
| Level 4 Retainer | £106.47 |
| Bail and Remand Fostering combined rate | £396.55 |
| Bail and Remand Retainer | £169.96 |
Payment
1. Payments are made fortnightly in arrears. Payment is made for each night of the placement.
2. Payment of the additional ‘skills’ allowance, in general, is made only when a child is actually in placement. Payment of the ‘skills’ allowance can continue in some circumstances during temporary absences from the foster home. The Family Placement Manager will make this decision. In the case of a Level 4 placement, the ‘skills’ allowance will continue if the temporary absence is no longer than 2 weeks.
3. The principle in deciding to pay these rates is that set out by the Fostering Network.
“Foster Carers should receive adequate basic allowances so that they are not always coming to the social workers ‘cap-in-hand’ for additional amounts of money”.
The allowances are calculated to include all normal expenditure for the care and maintenance of a foster child, as follows:-
- food
- school dinner money
- *replacement clothes and shoes
- *party clothes
- *youth organisation clothes
- nappies
- toiletries/sanitary ware
- *pocket money
- toys/books/games
- sporting activities (except some school kit)
- hobbies/music/dancing/sport
- subscriptions to clubs
- treats/outings
- presents for child’s friends
- household costs (including costs of breakages; minor items in daily use; additional gas/electricity; wear and tear of furniture, carpets, etc.; telephone usage; durable goods e.g. TV, washing machine)
- transport to and from school where school is in local catchment area
- all local journeys (approximate 10 miles round trip, up to 100 miles per week)
- baby-sitters for ordinary family social activities
- school trips
- replacement school uniform
- playgroup/nursery fees (except where the criteria for Priority Day Care apply)
*Where a young person has left school, different arrangements are made for pocket money and clothing.
You will need to discuss with the parents and child at the Placement Agreement Meeting what the pocket money is expected to cover, however, young people will not be expected to buy toiletries/sanitary ware out of their pocket money.
4.Travel Expenses
Expenses which arise from the need to make trips to hospital, attend reviews, contact arrangements or other exceptional travel expenses will be met by the Department. Public transport costs at 38.1p per mile will be paid.
5. Supplementary Fostering Allowance
Short term placements that last for 3 nights or less, will be paid at the relevant Basic Fostering Allowance rate plus the additional Supplementary Fostering Allowance at the rate of £10.72 per night.
6. Under or Overpayment
Occasionally, payment of fostering allowances has continued after a child has left a foster home.
If foster carers consider that an under or overpayment may have occurred, they should contact your Family Placement Officer at the Children’s Resource Centre.
When an overpayment has occurred, repayment will be made on a mutually agreed basis and at a level intended to avoid hardship.
7. Equipment
The Department will provide foster carers with equipment considered necessary for the welfare of their foster child. This may include cots, beds, pushchairs, playpens, stair gates, car safety seats, etc. All equipment is on loan and, unless worn out, is returnable when a placement ends.
8.Initial Clothing Grant
When a child first arrives there may be a need for extra money to establish a reasonable wardrobe. Please discuss this with your social worker.
9. Birthdays, Holidays and Christmas/Religious Festival
Birthday Allowance An amount equivalent to one week’s basic fostering allowance will be paid in the payment fortnight prior to the fortnight in which the child’s birthday falls. If a child changes placement or begins a placement in the week before his/her birthday, the new carer can apply for half the birthday allowance.
Christmas Allowance/Religious Festival An amount equivalent to one week’s basic fostering allowance will be paid in the last payment fortnight in November, unless the child does not celebrate Christmas. In this case the foster carer may apply via the child’s social worker for the allowance at the time of year when an equivalent significant festival is held. Central Office will need to be informed if the allowance is not to be paid at Christmas.
Holiday Allowance An amount equivalent to two week’s basic fostering allowance will be paid for each child in a financial year (April to March). This will automatically be paid in the first payment fortnight in July (you do not need to apply). If you experience problems concerning holiday allowances please contact the child’s social worker.
10. Special Educational (School) Holiday Trips/Holidays
The cost of normal school trips will be met from the basic fostering allowance, however exceptional school holidays will be paid for separately by the Department once during a child’s primary education (7 to 11 years) and once during the secondary period of education (11 plus).
11. Retainer Fees and Temporary Absences
Where a child is temporarily absent from, or absconds from, a foster home the full basic allowance will be paid for the first two weeks and half the basic fostering allowance for the third and fourth weeks, provided that it is intended the child will return to that foster home. This decision must be made by the Fieldwork Manager and notified in writing to the Children and Families Central team.
Where the child is at a residential school or where a place is reserved for any other reason with a particular foster carer, a retaining fee of £10.92 per week may be paid. The retaining fee is normally payable for a maximum of four weeks but may in some cases be renewable e.g. while a child is at a residential school.
Where a child is away from the foster home for a significant period of time on a regular basis, foster carers should discuss who is to take responsibility for buying the child’s clothing with the child’s social worker. The basic payment for clothing can be made to them during the child’s absences. This can also apply to the pocket money when the child is at a residential school.
12. Passports, documents, etc.
The cost of obtaining birth certificates (and copies), passports and “lifestory” books will be met by the Department.
13. Pocket Money and Clothing Allowances payable to Young People aged 16+
The revised enhanced amounts of pocket money and clothing allowances payable to young people who reach their eligible school leaving age at 16+ years, who have left school to commence work or paid training course, register as unemployed or who are eligible to leave school but elect to remain at school or attend college to further their education, will be as follows:-
| 1.Young people Unemployed | £30.24 |
| 2. Young people continuing in full-time Education | £43.05 |
| 3.Young people Employed or on paid Training Schemes |
From the net earnings, maximum of £153.76 per week, the minimum PM & C allowance of £43.05 per week is retained by the young person plus two thirds of the remainder. The other third being the contribution towards maintenance made by the young person to the foster carer to a maximum of £36.90 per week. The young person retains all earnings above £153.76. |
The amount of maintenance to be received by the foster carer for young people over the age of 16 years who qualify for these enhanced rates of pocket money and clothing will be increased to £183.05 per week. In the case of category 3, the sum of £183.05 will normally be made up by contributions from the Department and the young person.
14. Discretionary Payments for Exceptional Needs
In general the basic rates of payment will be expected to meet all the normal costs of bringing up a foster child. However, sometimes exceptional circumstances will arise. If you feel you are experiencing a financial need in connection with bringing up a foster child that is not covered within the basic fostering allowance and the scheme described here, you should discuss it with the child’s social worker to see if a discretionary payment may be available.
15. Insurance
The County Council has arranged insurance cover for foster carers. Copies of the full insurance policies are available for inspection in the main Area Offices. However, an abbreviated summary of the cover is in your Foster Care Handbook.
It is hoped that these notes will be useful in explaining the new fostering allowances. If you have any queries please contact your support worker or the Family Placement Manager at your local Children’s Resource Centre.
What’s involved in a home visit?
We like to visit you and your partner (if you are in a relationship), at home and talk with you about what you can offer a child. We need to know that your home is suitable and that you have skills and qualities that will enable you to support the child. This is your opportunity to ask questions of us and explore any concerns you may have.
What training would I receive?
We have a full range of training courses available to carers from one day workshops on child protection to the NVQ 3 Health and Social Care programme. All carers are expected to participate in training and will be encouraged to do so by their supervising social workers.
As a foster carer, what kind of support will I get?
One of your main sources of support will be your supervising social worker who will be in regular contact with you to offer advice, support and ensure that children are receiving a good quality of care whilst they are being looked after by the local authority. Other professionals involved in caring for the child will also have a role in supporting you. We also run support groups and social activities for foster carers which many people find helpful.
What are the different fostering schemes?
Find below a brief outline of the payment for skills scheme:
| Level 1 | Newly approved carers will usually be paid at Level 1 unless they have skills and experience to care for young people with more complex needs. Funding maybe available to cover any additional costs. |
| Level 2 | Carers can apply to be assessed at Level 2 once they have gained direct fostering experience. |
| Level 3 | Carers will have considerable experience and skills in looking after children and a level of self-confidence which enables them to accept some placements known to present more difficulties than others. One carer must available at all times. |
| Level 4 | A high level of skills and experience either from fostering or from working directly with children. Usually this will involves providing care for teenagers or young people with complex needs or challenging behaviours. One carer must be available at all time. |
Bail and Remand - These foster carers offer mainly short term or emergency placements to young people aged 10 - 17 years who are involved in offending. They may be subject to police or court bail.
What is private fostering?
This is an arrangement whereby a child’s parent or relative asks other people to care for the child. Although, the carers are not ‘approved foster carers’ the local authority is responsible for ensuring that a child who is privately fostered is visited regularly by a social worker to ensure that they are being looked after well. For more information please see Private fostering.
Contact Details
Postal Address: Chippenham
Family Placement Team Salisbury Family Placement Team Trowbridge Family Placement Team Email: fostering@wiltshire.gov.uk Telephone: Recruitment
Hotline: 0800 1696321 or Fax: 01249
445959 (Chippenham)
357 Hungerdown Lane
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN14
0UX
Riverside
Centre
Churchfields Road
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP2
7NH
Trowbridge
Resource Centre
Rutland Crescent
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14
0NY
01249 444321 (Chippenham)
01722 333552(Salisbury)
01225
752198 (Trowbridge)
01722 422052 (Salisbury)
01225 775334 (Trowbridge)
Last updated: 6 May 2009