Payment and allowance benefits for foster carers in Leicestershire have risen by nearly 7%.
Following a 6.88% rise in the National Minimum Allowance for foster carers in England, the minimum weekly allowance for a foster carer has increased to £170 per week, with the maximum weekly allowance going up to £249 per week*.
Additional weekly skill fees, paid in recognition of carers’ skills, experience and dedication to continuous learning and development, have also increased.
With 733** children and young people in care, Leicestershire County Council urgently needs new foster carers to provide a loving, safe and supportive home for children and young people in care.
Most in-house foster carers can get a tax-free allowance of £18,400 and also access further payments, including clothing and school uniform allowances, birthday and holiday allowances, and festival allowances.
We are so proud of our carers. They offer their time, love, and abundant skills to look after our children and young people.
We know that our foster carers don’t just do this for the money, but we know that it is something people need to think about, especially during the hard financial times people are facing, and this payment increase helps to show our ongoing and unwavering support to them.
The sad fact is that the number of children and young people in our care is steadily rising year-on-year, and we desperately need to recruit more carers to ensure we are offering our young people the best chance of succeeding in life.
Person:Jane Moore, director of children and family services
Anyone interested in finding out more about foster carer payments and allowances can visit the fostering in Leicestershire website. Alternatively, they can attend one of the upcoming ‘Find Out About Fostering’ events, email the Fostering Team at fostering@leics.gov.uk, or call them on 0116 305 0505.
*Minimum and maximum payments depend on the age of the child or young person being cared for, and are designed to cover the basic cost of caring for them.
**figure correct as of April 2024.