As part of a drive to retain and attract new foster carers, a council has announced that it is increasing its basic foster care allowances.
All foster carers in the county receive a weekly allowance from Nottinghamshire County Council to help cover the costs of providing care for a child, with the level of payment they get dependent on the age of the child or young person and the complexity of the care needs as well as the foster carers’ years of service.
The new rates will be backdated to the start of the 2024 to 2025 financial year.
Increases of the basic fostering allowance for ages zero to four and five to ten will be made in line with Department for Education’s suggested rates, increasing from £154 to £170 weekly and £175 to £187 weekly, respectively.
In response to the significant need for foster carers for older children and teenagers, allowances for fostered children aged 11 to 18 will increase to above the Department for Education’s recommendations, from £217.78 to £225.69 weekly for 11 to 15-year-olds, and £264.94 to £274.56 weekly for the oldest placements aged 16 to 18.
Foster carers can help prevent children from entering residential care and give those who have been in these settings an opportunity to move into a family home environment where they are able to thrive.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire County Council said: “It is vital foster carers are recognised for the important role they do. Our foster carers come from all walks of life and provide a hugely vital service, caring for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in Nottinghamshire.
“Foster carers help to shape a child or young person’s life by giving them a safe and secure home; that’s the best place for a youngster to thrive.
“Foster carers are not primarily motivated by financial rewards, but it is crucial we recognise the role they do and support them appropriately.
“As the number of foster carers has fallen nationally in recent years, we need to recruit more locally to provide safe and loving homes for Nottinghamshire children in our care. In particular, we need more foster carers who can care for older children and teenagers, and this is reflected in the allowances we provide to foster carers based on the ages of children and young people they look after
“We hope that by increasing our package of allowances we can encourage more people to foster with us, as well as help to retain our existing carers, who do such an amazing job. If you are interested in learning more about fostering, I encourage you to get in touch with our regional recruitment hub, Foster For East Midlands.”
In March 2024, Nottinghamshire County Council partnered with Derbyshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, and Derby City Council to launch the new fostering recruitment support hub Foster for East Midlands.
The hub serves as the central point for enquiries from prospective foster carers.
