The ‘pay’ provided to foster carers has two elements – the ‘allowance’ (which is used to cover the increased costs to the household as the result of the child joining the home) and a ‘fee’ (for professional work such as completing paperwork, and attending supervisions, training and professionals meetings).
Using the term ‘pay’ is generally frowned upon because it’s considered to be insensitive to the children who are looked after; it is unpleasant and offensive to children to believe that their full-time carers are looking after them for money, rather than because they care about the children. Sadly, there are some foster carers who, despite receiving generous allowances and fees, spend minimal amounts on the children in the care and show little genuine affection for the children they care for.
That said, caring for children is expensive and few people have enough money to cover the costs of caring for children. Furthermore, some carers either reduce their working hours or leave work altogether so that they are able to care for the child and complete all the fostering tasks and they need to be compensated appropriately for doing so.
Fees and allowances are paid together and rarely split into two payments. Information available about difference fostering providers in the North West in Oct 2024 is as follows:
Typically, independent fostering providers give 40% of the local authority fee directly to the carer. Sparks Fostering gives foster carers 50% of the local authority fee; which is currently around £750 per child per week – this figure is high for the sector because the current carers are qualified childcare professionals who are looking after teenagers with additional needs. In addition to this, Sparks Fostering gives foster carers around £1,300 every year in additional allowances, up to £600 in training allowance, and two week respite payments annually. Furthermore, Sparks Fostering offers up to £3,500 in referral fees, which is paid directly to foster carers if they self-refer.
Sparks Fostering covers the whole of England; however, for comparison, fees for providers in the North West are provided here:
Weekly fees for a rage of independent providers (as stated on their website in October 2024)
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Sparks Fostering – up to £750 (current average is £750 to care for teens with additional needs)
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Acorn House (Fostering Service) – between £263 – £400
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Alpha Plus Fostering Limited – Not stated on website
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Assured Fostering – Not stated on website
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Action for Children – From £370 – £700
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Active Care Solutions – Typically £463
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Barnados North West – Up to £630
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By the Bridge North West – Typically £461
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Capstone – Up to £750
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Caritas Care – £405 to £642
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CFS Care Limited – £400 to £500
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Changing Futures – Up to £491
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Child Action North West – £320 to £600
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Cuffe and Lacey Fostering – £305 to £500
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Excel Fostering Limited – Up to £650
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Family Care Fostering – Up to £750 per week
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Five Rivers Child Care – approximately £400
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Flourish Fostering – Not stated on website
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Foster Care Associates – Average £487
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Foster Care Matters – Up to £460
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Foster Careline – Upwards of £429
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Fostering Changes Life – Not stated on website
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Fostering Ltd – Up to £650
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Fostering Solutions (see National Fostering Group)
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Foster Plus – Up to £476
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Fusion Fostering North West – £400
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Inspire Fostering – Can start from £400
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Lorimer Foster Services – £450
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National Fostering Agency – Average £471
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Next Stage for Fostering – From £322 to £468
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Olive Branch Fostering – Up to £405
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Orange Grove Fostercare Northwest – Between £371 to £478
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Organic Fostering Ltd – Up to £700
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Parallel Parents – Up to £500
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Parallel Parents West – Up to £500
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Safehouses Fostering – From £464
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Sparks Fostering – up to £750 (current average is £750)
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SWIIS Foster Care – Up to £520
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TACT Fostering – Up to £482
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Team Fostering – Up to £557
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The Fostering Team – £400
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The Together Trust Fostering Service – Not stated on website
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Therapeutic Fostering Ltd – £380 to £650
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Three Circles Fostering Limited – Up to £428
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Tutis Foster Care – Not stated on website
Local authorities in the North West
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Blackburn with Darwen – between £399 to £524
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Blackpool Borough Council – Average £471
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Bolton Council – Average £471
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Bury – Not stated on website
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Cheshire East – £590
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Cheshire West – Up to £1000 for specialist carers. Fee for new carers not stated.
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Cumberland – Not stated on website
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Halton Borough -£205
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Knowsley – Up to £428
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Lancashire – Between £399 to £523
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Liverpool – Is ‘Foster4’ – Around £300
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Manchester – £300 for new carers. £400 for experienced.
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Oldham – Average £471
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Rochdale – Up to £249
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Salford – Up to £219
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Sefton – Up to £479
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St Helens – Starting at £250, up to £1,000 for specialist carers.
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Stockport – Up to £489
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Tameside – Not stated on website
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Trafford – Up to £490
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Warrington – Between £295 and £495
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Westmorland – Up to £458 for specialist carers
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Wigan – Up to £363 new carers. Up to £790 for specialist carers.
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Wirral – Up to £428
Based on these figures, the average maximum fee provided by independent fostering providers is £526 per week; and the average maximum fee provided by local authorities is around £499. A few independent fostering providers (such as Sparks Fostering) gives a high fee of £750 (including to new carers) and a few local authorities give up to £1,000 to specialist carers (albeit this fee is unlikely to be provided to new carers).