General fostering allowances
We pay general fostering allowances to carers doing short-term, long-term and emergency fostering.
The financial support we provide is made up of 2 parts:
- A weekly allowance - based on the age of the child.
- A weekly fee - based on your skill level. We'll discuss this with you at the home visit stage. It ranges from Level 1 to Level 4, with Level 4 being the highest.
Weekly allowance
The basic weekly allowance for 2022–2023, paid per child per week, is:
Levels 1–3
- 0–4 year-old child: £141
- 5–10 year-old child: £156
- 11–15 year-old child: £177
- 16 years old or older: £207
Level 4
- 5–10 year-old child: £156
- 11–15 year-old child: £177
- 16 years old or older: £207
Weekly fee
The basic weekly fee for 2022–2023, paid per child per week, is:
- Level 1: no fee
- Level 2: £75
- Level 3: £140
- Level 4: £280
Total weekly support
Level 1
- 0–4 year-old child: £141
- 5–10 year-old child: £156
- 11–15 year-old child: £177
- 16 years old or older: £207
Level 2
- 0–4 year-old child: £216
- 5–10 year-old child: £231
- 11–15 year-old child: £252
- 16 years old or older: £282
Level 3
- 0–4 year-old child: £281
- 5–10 year-old child: £296
- 11–15 year-old child: £317
- 16 years old or older: £347
Level 4
- 5–10 year-old child: £436
- 11–15 year-old child: £457
- 16 years old or older: £487
Additional allowances
You'll also receive the following additional allowances for each fostered child or young person in your care:
- Birthday allowance – equivalent to 1 week's basic weekly allowance.
- Festival allowance – equivalent to 1 week's basic weekly allowance.
- Holiday allowance – 1 per year, equivalent to 2 weeks basic weekly allowance.