Thinking about fostering – confused about allowance & agencies

My friend was a foster carer for several years. She specialised in teenagers, often from the same family. She was getting about £600 a week for each of them and on top of that the kids uniforms were paid for, they were provided with lap tops, all out of school activities were paid for and loads of other stuff.
She was also paid mileage.

She was excellent with the kids and they all did very well with her.

I think you need to speak to professionals.
It’s a huge commitment and these young people have often had very little consistency or stability.
If a foster placement breaks down it can set a child back a long way.
You mist also be aware that many young people in care suffer from foetal alcohol or foetal drug syndrome as well as attachment disorder/anxiety.

It s very unusual for a child to need fostering without there being serious problems in the past, either in utero or in their previous lives. So the biggest consideration is not the money but the challenges that the children present. You need to be really prepared for this.
I am not trying to put you off ... these children desperately need loving homes, but it is very important that potential problems are recognised.
Good luck with it all.

The amount of foster carer gets can depend on the agency she works for, private tend to pay more than local authorities. Children coming in to be looked after will be traumatised by the changes and likely to have experienced high levels of neglect and abuse.
Support from agencies varies. The assessment then training can seem demanding.

If you're concerned about the money side of things I wouldn't do it .
It's about giving a child a safe , loving environment to live in
It's really hard work and the older you are the harder it is.

Think what it was like bringing your own children up .
Now you are older It's going to be a lot harder , especially has many children have issues.

Good luck with it.

You can make enquiries with any agency or local authority fostering service with no obligation. If you then feel you would like to take it further, you can also go on to have an initial visit, again with no obligation. This would cover all the questions you have and a lot more besides. The person you speak to will be very honest about the challenges involved. You can then take your time to decide if this is really something you would like to do or not. Agencies are very used to dealing with many enquiries that go no further, so never feel you are wasting their time. The difference good foster carers make to young people’s lives is huge, well done for even considering it.

Iam64

The amount of foster carer gets can depend on the agency she works for, private tend to pay more than local authorities. Children coming in to be looked after will be traumatised by the changes and likely to have experienced high levels of neglect and abuse.
Support from agencies varies. The assessment then training can seem demanding.

That is right, private do pay more than local authorities

I used to give respite care for children with special needs (or whatever the current term is) This is less of a commitment than fostering but of great value to both the children and their parents. I was paid and also got great support from Children’s Services.