Fees and allowances for foster carers
The Camden Fostering service pays each carer on a weekly basis for every child placed in their care.
This payment is made up of a maintenance allowance and a professional fee. The amounts are dependent on the age of the child and what type of foster carer you are.
The maintenance allowance is for the costs of caring for the child, such as food, clothes, travel, pocket money and activities. The professional fee is for your time and skills.
As well as this, you can apply for a grant to get up to £500 for start-up costs, such as a cot or a wardrobe for the child. For children who are new to foster care, you can apply for emergency grants of up to £110 for clothing and up to £110 for school uniform.
Breakdown of fees and allowances for different types of foster carer
| Age range | Maintenance allowance | Professional fee | Total weekly amount per child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 years | £240.32 | £149.23 | £389.55 |
| 5-10 years | £249.64 | £149.23 | £398.87 |
| 11-15 years | £329.32 | £149.23 | £478.55 |
| 16-18 years | £350.10 | £169.23 | £519.33 |
| Age range | Maintenance allowance | Professional fee | Total weekly amount per child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 years | £240.32 | £502.66 | £742.98 |
| 5-10 years | £249.64 | £502.66 | £752.30 |
| 11-15 years | £329.32 | £502.66 | £831.98 |
| 16-18 years | £350.10 | £502.66 | £872.76 |
| Maintenance allowance for child | Maintenance allowance for parent | Professional fee for child | Professional fee for parent | Total weekly amount per placement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £240.32 | £350.10 | £502.66 | £502.66 | £1595.74 |
Tax breaks for foster carers
All foster carers benefit from significant tax breaks, which is known as qualifying care relief.
Households do not pay tax on the first £19,690 you earn from fostering. You also will not pay tax on some of your earnings over this amount in the form of tax relief for every week a child is in your care.
Find out more about tax arrangements for foster carers on GOV.UK.
Find out more about the other benefits available to foster carers in Camden.