As a foster carer, you’ll receive a weekly payment for your skills, plus a weekly allowance for each child you look after.
Skills payments
- Foundation level – £0 per week
- Standard level per week – £194.68 (age 0-10), £290.47 (age 11-17)
- ARC level – £525.25 per week.
Allowances
- Age 0-4 – £189 per week
- Age 5-10 – £208 per week
- Age 11-15 – £238 per week
- Age 16-17 – £278 per week.
See for more detail about additional allowances and payments.
Annual leave
All Hertfordshire foster carers who actively foster are entitled to annual leave payments. For full time carers, the payment is equivalent to 2 weeks' skills payment.
Sleepover carers only are entitled to 1 week skills payment.
Exceptional/Additional payments
In exceptional circumstances, additional allowances may be paid. These are agreed on a case by case basis and must not be covered by existing allowances. They may include:
- costs of activities and trips
- sports equipment
- musical instruments
- meeting special dietary requirements
- additional hair / skin care needs relating to a young person’s ethnicity etc.
Mockingbird Hub carers
Hub carer payment of £525,25 per week, plus hub allowance and activity budget.
Parent and child carers
£787.88 skills payment per week during placement
(£525.25 retainer whilst awaiting placement)
Emergency foster carers
Daily payment of £75 Emergency retainer
Plus payment when child is placed:
£75 (skills payment) per day
£34 (child allowance based on 11-15 yrs) per day