When it comes to fostering, it’s understandable that some people might be hesitant to start their fostering journey because they’re concerned about how they’ll afford to look after the needs of a foster child.
In fact, many of the questions we receive from prospective foster parents are about finances and whether fostering is an affordable option for them.
The good news is, fostering is a progressive career that not only pays generous fostering allowances but also rewards you with a professional fee and discounts to make caring for your child that little bit easier. For Foster Care Fortnight, we wanted to look at how fostering could be a brilliant career choice for you, and how our allowances, rewards, and other benefits work.
What is Foster Care Fortnight?
Foster Care Fortnight is an awareness campaign that runs across the UK to celebrate everything to do with fostering. The campaign aims to take a closer look at everyday fostering experiences and pay tribute to the wonderful impact that foster parents have.
Foster Care Fortnight 2026 takes place between May 11th and May 24th.
Is fostering a career?
Fostering is an incredibly rewarding and challenging profession that comes with everything you would expect in a career – progression, training, a competitive allowance, and a wide range of other rewards and benefits for both you and your family.
One of the best things about fostering, aside from helping a vulnerable child, is the ability to work flexibly from home. Fostering allows you to get out of the nine-to-five grind and create a more sustainable work/life balance, while doing an incredibly selfless job.
As with any professional career, you’ll also receive a wealth of training and development and have the opportunity to network with other foster carers and work alongside a team of fostering professionals, including social workers and education specialists.
What if I don’t have fostering experience?
You don’t need experience to make the career change to become a foster carer. In fact, you’ll likely already have a range of transferable skills that you’ll have developed in previous jobs. These skills can include:
- Teamwork.
- Administration.
- Communication.
- Empathy.
- Management.
- Perseverance.
- Flexibility.
- Stability.
- Adaptability.
- Commitment.
At Fostering People, we provide ongoing training to give you the knowledge and skills needed to make this a successful career change.
Does fostering pay well?
Nobody chooses to foster purely for the money. Having a passion to help children in care should always be the main reason for pursuing a career in fostering. However, we believe our foster parents deserve to be paid a competitive fostering allowance to reflect the life-changing work that they do.
Fostering is an incredibly important role to take on, and you shouldn’t let uncertainty around the cost of fostering a child put you off caring for a young person. Fostering People is proud to offer competitive financial support for our foster carers so that you can focus on making a difference in a child’s life.
You’ll start to receive your allowance from the first payment date once you’ve welcomed your foster child into your home.
Can I afford to foster?
Our weekly foster care allowances range from £493 to £900 per week, per child. In England, our standard rate for a child over the age of five is more than £521 per week, per child, which would be an average of £2,275 each month including payments towards birthday and religious holiday payments.
We pay our parents every fortnight via a BACS payment directly into your bank account, and you’ll know in advance when your payment is being made. Foster parents are only paid when they have a foster child staying with them.
The amount that fostering pays can differ depending on a variety of factors, such as how many children you foster, how long you foster them for, and whether the children you care for have any additional needs.
Will I have to pay tax as a foster carer?
It’s worth noting that fostering isn’t taxed in the same way as other jobs, so the majority of these fostering allowances can be tax-free. Foster parents are entitled to a Fostering Tax Exemption, which works in two parts:
- Qualifying Care Relief (QCR).
- Weekly tax relief for foster parents.
Each fostering household can earn £20,440 per year without paying tax because of QCR. You’ll also receive a weekly tax relief for each week that you have a child in your care, which will be different depending on the age of the child.
So the majority of our foster parents won’t have to pay tax on the income they earn from fostering. However, you will be classed as self-employed, which means that you’ll have to complete a tax return form at the end of each January.
What expenses are covered for foster carers?
You’ll be able to submit an expense claim for any expenses you incur that aren’t covered by your fostering fee – your dedicated social worker will be able to advise you about these.
Not only that, but you’ll also be able to claim means-tested benefits, as your fostering allowance isn’t classed as income in the same way as income is as an employee.
Similarly, if you currently claim any benefits, your fostering allowance shouldn’t affect these if you were entitled to them prior to fostering.
Can I work and foster?
Fostering and working is a lot more common than you think. In fact, almost 40% of foster parents in the UK work another job alongside fostering, so if you’re thinking of doing both, you’re not alone.
As a foster parent, you’ll only receive fostering income when you have a foster child living with you, so it’s understandable that finances will be a concern in the periods between placements. Our foster parents don’t usually have to wait long before they match with another child, but you still might have to wait for a few weeks before this happens. Your social worker will discuss with you how you’ll manage in these periods throughout the fostering assessment process if this will be your only income.
It’s possible to work alongside fostering; however, the needs of your foster child will need to come first. There are some fostering friendly employers who understand the demands of the role and will give you the flexibility you need to foster alongside employment. This is a big benefit if you’re not ready to give up your profession, or your personal circumstances require you to earn additional income.
Things to consider when fostering and working
- Are you fostering on your own or as part of a couple? Could one of you continue to work full-time while the other dealt with the day-to-day needs of fostering during your working hours?
- How flexible is your work schedule? What hours and days are you contracted to work?
- Do you have the flexibility from your employer to take time off short notice?
- Are there any family members or friends who could help in the case of an emergency?
- What ages are you planning to care for? It’s worth bearing in mind that younger children will need more of a time commitment than older children.
When you foster a child, the needs of your foster child are the number one priority, but if you aren’t ready to leave your current job, or you’re concerned about your income if you leave your role, give us a call, and we can have a chat about how it might be possible for you to do both.
Financial benefits of fostering
At Fostering People, we believe that the work our foster parents do on a day-to-day basis should be rewarded, which is why we pay such a generous fostering allowance. The fee will never be the main reason that someone chooses to foster; however, it recognises the significant impact that our hardworking foster parents have on the children in their care.
There are also a number of other financial benefits that you’ll gain from fostering with Fostering People, which are just some of the reasons why you should choose us:
- Get discounts through The Exchange, our rewards platform, giving you money off shopping, days out, and activities.
- Free membership to Foster Talk.
- Earn rewards with our Refer a Friend scheme.
- Financial contributions towards birthday and Christmas presents for your foster child.
- 14 days paid respite pro rata, giving you the opportunity to unwind if you need it.
- The chance to attend special events.
Foster with Fostering People and enjoy a new career
When you foster with Fostering People, not only will you be making a huge difference in a vulnerable child’s life, but you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy an exciting, rewarding, and challenging career. A career that rewards you the way you deserve, in more ways than one.
To find out more about fostering, fill out our enquiry form or give us a ring on 0800 077 8159 today, and a member of our friendly team will get back to you to answer any questions you have. We look forward to hearing from you!
