Fostering - frequently asked questions

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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 2011/12 are set out below and will be paid from 31st March 2011.

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	£131.46	£2.00	£9.20
5-10	£149.73	£3.32	£11.24
11-15	£186.41	£7.25	£15.85
16+	£226.73	£12.86	£19.27

Payment

1. Payments are made fortnightly in arrears. Payment is made for each night of the placement.

2. The principle in deciding to pay these rates is that set out by The Fostering Network.

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.

3.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 45p per mile will be paid.

4. 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.

5. 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 their fostering social worker at Newbury House.

When an overpayment has occurred, repayment will be made on a mutually agreed basis and at a level intended to avoid hardship.

6. 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.

7.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.

8. 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.

9. 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).

10. 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 Locality team 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.

11. Passports, documents, etc.

The cost of obtaining birth certificates (and copies), passports and “lifestory” books will be met by the Department.

12. 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.

13. Insurance

The Council has arranged insurance cover for foster carers. Copies of the full insurance policies are available for inspection in the main 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 fostering social worker.

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 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.

Last updated: 19 May 2011