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Foster caring

2

Comments

  • purple12
    purple12 Posts: 304 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    We just started fostering a few months ago after a long approval process. We are approved for short-term fostering and we don't have children so that has been another challenge along the way! But I think it's been worth the wait - we're quite enjoying it.. so far!
  • weanie
    weanie Posts: 268 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    A relative was discussing the propect of fostering recently - having seen some of the programmes on TV. She would propose taking up a part time option at work. She was trying to work out the financial implications and I mentioned this forum to her. She would really like to know what range of financial suport or expenses she would expect and whether to apply to her local council or to an independent fostering agency. Can anyone help?
  • purple12
    purple12 Posts: 304 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I knew very little about how much we would get before we were actually approved - the local authority was very reticient - but we are fostering a 7 year old (the allowances change according to age) and we get roughly £370 per week - that includes child's expenses and a 'reward' element. However there are additional payments for birthday, christmas, holidays, clothes and various other things like after school activities.

    We foster for the local authority and I think that agencies tend to pay more.
    This isn't taxed.

    I can't really say anything about the private agencies and what it's like working with them as we are with the council - and while there are some gripes I have about support/contactability of social workers, I feel more comfortable with the local authority as I think keeping a child in their local area and being able to go to the same school etc is really important.

    Still at the early stages but it has been and continues to be an utterly illuminating experience. I can't begin to describe how much I've learnt in the last few months!
  • weanie
    weanie Posts: 268 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thanks for the advice - I will pass it on. I told her to do her research before she decided to register with the local authority - the rates she found on the internet were massively lower than those you mentioned. It costs the authority about £45000 per child to go to an independent fostering agency and the foster carers seem to receive an average of about £400 weekly. We discovered that her authority subscribes to a 'gov minimum standard' and the rates for 0 to 4 year olds was £84.22 weekly allowance in 2008 and rising to £168.53 for 16+. There are doubled up payments for birthdays and Xmas.
    Her point is that she spent several years being really stretched when she brought her own children up and she does not want to go backwards now. She doesn't seem willing to discuss payment with them prior to making arrangements to foster though and I feel she should establish this before she aranges for the social worker to come out to visit.
    It seems offensive to ask about payment but I feel the sums you mention seem more in line with the important work you do. I do agree that there are other benefits beyond financial though.
    Thanks and good luck.
  • purple12
    purple12 Posts: 304 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    weanie wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice - I will pass it on. I told her to do her research before she decided to register with the local authority - the rates she found on the internet were massively lower than those you mentioned. It costs the authority about £45000 per child to go to an independent fostering agency and the foster carers seem to receive an average of about £400 weekly. We discovered that her authority subscribes to a 'gov minimum standard' and the rates for 0 to 4 year olds was £84.22 weekly allowance in 2008 and rising to £168.53 for 16+. There are doubled up payments for birthdays and Xmas.
    .

    It might be worth checking that they don't top up with a 'reward element' as those were the figures we were quoted and were actually expecting when we started!
  • babs
    babs Posts: 517 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    edited 27 May 2009 at 1:39PM
    Hi,

    We are currently going through assessement to Foster and hope to go before panel around August/September. Here's a bit about my experience so far.

    Firstly, we had to attend a 6 week course, 1 night a week called Skills for Fostering, which explored many issues, including "safe caring" which basically is what you are and are not allowed to do with foster children to keep them safe and yourself safe from any alligations that children might make in your care. This includes even small things such as not reading them stories whilst they are in bed. It also gives you chance to meet foster carers and ask them questions.

    Then it involves an indepth an analysis of your home/relationship/views/opinions etc - A social worker will visit your house once a week and discuss a multitude of things. Basically you will have to write your life story. During this time you will also need to provide references from employers and friends. They will talk to your children to get their opinions and you will also need to attend a medical with your doctor, who will be asked to comment on your past medical history. The social worker will look all around you house for a health and safety check (because you need such things as a fire blanket/extinguisher in your kitchen), Everything is looked at from your garden to the type of windows you have! They will need to see everything from your passport to your MOT certificate.

    After all this, if the social worker thinks you are suitable, then you will go to panel of around 10 people where you will be assessed by council officials, social workers, medical advisor, current foster carers etc to be approved. This is like the end of the line and they will either recommend you or not.

    We have been told payment varies alot from county to county. Ours pay the National Fostering Network minimum rates (£125.09 for under 5 rising to £215.74 for 16+) plus £30 a week personal wage. The £30 stays the same no matter how many children you foster, although you will get expenses for each child. This "wage" goes up £10 for more experience/skills/courses etc. Not that good, but we never consider an outside agency as these children are likely to ones that the local authority cannot place and be deemed to have "challenging behaviour".

    At the moment I work as a midwife and hope to combine fostering and working 2 days a week initally with the option of reverting to bank work if the fostering goes well.
    £2021 in 2021... £253.86/£2021
  • purple12
    purple12 Posts: 304 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    babs wrote: »
    t we never consider an outside agency as these children are likely to ones that the local authority cannot place and be deemed to have "challenging behaviour".

    To be honest, that was one of the reasons we went with the local authority too..

    And good luck Babs!
  • Oldernotwiser
    Oldernotwiser Posts: 37,425 Forumite
    weanie wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice - I will pass it on. I told her to do her research before she decided to register with the local authority - the rates she found on the internet were massively lower than those you mentioned. It costs the authority about £45000 per child to go to an independent fostering agency and the foster carers seem to receive an average of about £400 weekly. We discovered that her authority subscribes to a 'gov minimum standard' and the rates for 0 to 4 year olds was £84.22 weekly allowance in 2008 and rising to £168.53 for 16+. There are doubled up payments for birthdays and Xmas.
    Her point is that she spent several years being really stretched when she brought her own children up and she does not want to go backwards now. She doesn't seem willing to discuss payment with them prior to making arrangements to foster though and I feel she should establish this before she aranges for the social worker to come out to visit.
    It seems offensive to ask about payment but I feel the sums you mention seem more in line with the important work you do. I do agree that there are other benefits beyond financial though.
    Thanks and good luck.

    The normal fostering allowance is expected to cover the costs of fostering and should be spent on the child and the extra expenses that occur.

    If you foster a child with particularly challenging behaviour or other problems there'll often be a professional payment in addition which to the fostering allowance which reflects the fact that you'll actually be doing a lot of work with them, rather than just accepting them into the family. These extra payments are taxable and are extra income.

    There's nothing wrong with wanting to receive payment for the work you'll do but she should be prepared; she'll earn every penny of it!
  • weanie
    weanie Posts: 268 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Combo Breaker
    I passed on all the advice gleaned from this site and she is grateful - thanks. She is still extremely keen to foster and has the ability to make an excellent foster parent along with her husband and supportive grown up family. I just can't see how she would cover the 'expense' of having a small child when she might only expect £84.22. I will suggest she asks if there are likely to be any addtional 'reward element' as purple 12 has suggested. The only information on the web seemed to show that child allowance could be claimed and the equivalent amount deducted from this fee.
    I had suggested to her that she tried an independent agency but I hadn't considered that the independents might be placing very challenging children. I did look at teh website for one independent and the OFSTED report for it was excellent and the commments suggested a far better support network to carers than the council's though.
    I think Babs has provided an interesting insight into the approvement process and it is obviously right and proper that eople should be screened and approved before being allowed to do tis important job. I wish her and all the other foster carers good luck - it is a 'job' I don't think I could ever have taken on.
  • babs
    babs Posts: 517 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    Good Luck to your friend Weanie and I hope she finds the avenue that is right for her.

    Forgot to say in my previous post, that support in the Local Authority seems to be pretty good, well in my area at least. The social worker who does the assessment becomes your "support worker" and the children placed with you will have different workers. So if interests conflict, you do have your own support worker fighting your corner. They will also fund you through doing your NVQ's etc.

    Just make sure your friend is fully prepared for what she might be taking on. Our authority only uses an agency for the children that none of their foster carers will take - nearly always teenagers with a multitude of problems. Is your friend really prepared to take the likes of teenagers who will urinate all over the house?

    Oh, and one last thing, the biggest thing with fostering is not only are you involved with the children, you also become involved with their families, this may mean letting a mum who previously neglected their child, but is working on getting them back, cook their child a meal in your house, bath them, put them to bed etc. Most of the time the child will have regular contact with their birth families and this will mean accepting them into your home or taking the child to theirs whilst you supervise.
    £2021 in 2021... £253.86/£2021
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