Average weekly fostering payments per child include: Level 1 £200 per week; Level 2 £350 per week; Level 3 £500 per week. Fostering payments do not usually affect any benefits you receive or tax you pay.
Why foster?
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Allowance and Income
You will receive a weekly fostering allowance per child that is in your care, plus mileage costs, as well as benefiting from tax exemption and tax relief. Our allowances are very competitive and reflect how highly we value our carers. Further details can be found below:
Allowances and Income
Every Portsmouth foster carer receives a generous allowance for each child in their care. The amount varies depending on the age of the child and is paid weekly. The fostering allowance is to cover food, clothing, pocket money, and a contribution towards housing costs and other household expenses associated with day-to-day living.
Foster carers also receive set allowances to cover “additional costs” such as caring for a child over Christmas or another significant religious festival and the child’s birthday. Foster carers can claim travel and expenses when transporting the foster child and attending meetings or training. In addition to fostering allowances, depending on your experience and skills, Portsmouth foster carers benefit from a skills-fee. This will be discussed with you during your assessment to become a foster carer.
Carers with the skills and availability to care for young people with more challenging needs receive highly competitive skill payments. In most cases if your experience has been gained through looking after your own children, or the children of family and friends, you will receive a level 1 fostering allowance however you will have the opportunity through fostering to gain skills and experience in order to progress to a higher skill level.
If you have professional child care experience, or are already an experienced foster carer, we would very much like to hear from you. With Portsmouth you would receive a competitive skill fee for each child placed with you in addition to a fostering allowance.
How much will I receive?