Frequently Asked Questions

Can I combine fostering with working outside of the home?

The key requirement is that you are sufficiently available. In practice, you need to be available as follows:

• At the start and end of each school day to support the child's access to school
• Whenever the child is off school due to holidays, illness, exclusion or any other reason
• To meet with local authority and fp.c social workers during office hours
• To attend local foster carer training and practice meetings during office hours
• To support the child to attend any day time appointments that they may need to attend.
• To attend day time review and planning meetings

How much will I be told about the children before they arrive?

We will work to provide you with the maximum available information. the amount of information available depends on how long the child has been known to Social Services, how long the child has lived in the area etc.

How much will I be paid?

You will receive a maintenance payment for each child in placement and a skills level payment in recognition of your skills and effort in caring for each child. The amount of these payments vary according to the age of the child and the level of your skills as a foster carer. There is a generous tax regime in relation to fostering payments. This means that most foster carers pay little or no income tax on their income from fostering . Furhter details availabe on request.

How long will I need to wait for a child to be placed with me?

We work to recruit foster carers in the areas where we have identified a clear need for additional foster carers or where we have been awarded a tender to provide foster placements for the local authority. In practice, we only actively recruit foster carers in those areas  where we  regularly receiving  ongoing referrals for foster placements from the local authority. This means that our foster carers are generally kept very busy.

I am currently fostering for another agency. What is the process for transferring my fostering approval to fp.c?

We have lots of experience of managing the transfer of approval process. We work to ensure that this happens in a manner which avoids disturbing or otherwise upsetting any children already in placement and to avoid foster carers having a break in their fostering approval. For further details, please go to our transferring approval page - see button on the left.