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 – £187.20 (age 0-10), £279.30 (age 11-17)
- ARC level – £505.05 per week.
Allowances
- Age 0-4 – £177 per week
- Age 5-10 – £195 per week
- Age 11-15 – £223 per week
- Age 16-17 – £260 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
£505.05 per week plus hub allowance and activity budget.
Parent and child carers
£715.88 per week during placement (£463.35 whilst awaiting placement).
Emergency foster carers
Daily payment of:
- £75 emergency foster carer retainer
- payment when a child is placed – £72.15 skills payment, £32 child allowance based on 11-15 years.
Foster carers can claim additional payments for their placement, if agreed with their fostering team:
We encourage foster carers to contribute to the service and develop themselves by taking on voluntary roles: