Foster Carer Allowances
The details below illustrate the allowances that are available to support fostering placements across various age ranges and categories. The rates for 2012/13 are the same as for 2011/12 are as illustrated in the pdf document on the right hand side of this page.
Did you know that a typical West Berkshire foster carer who looks after two young children aged between five and ten for 40 weeks during the course of a year will receive about £18,000 in allowances?
Or did you realise that for looking after two teenagers between 16 and 18 for the same period you could receive over £27,000?
This combined with the special tax arrangements for foster carers - see details by following this link to HMRC http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/courses/syob/FC/HTML/fc_101.html - means that the role of foster caring is increasingly becoming an alternative 'career' choice with professional standards, training, qualifications and support to ensure that carers are able to provide the very best in foster care for West Berkshire's children and young people.
The fostering service was rated outstanding by Ofsted in the most recent 2008 inspection, which together with a dynamic and proactive Foster Carers Association that you are guaranteed membership of we have much more than just excellent financial support to offer you.
If you have a spare bedroom(s) in your house and an interest in helping young people in succeeding in their lives then foster caring provides real 'job' satisfaction and the financial capability to view it as a real career choice. With plenty of meetings and responsibilities to fill in the blank times there is never a dull moment so we recommend that at least one carer (if you are a couple) is available full time to engage in the role.
Our philosophy is that local children deserve local foster care and we now need to recruit foster carers throughout the West Berkshire territory to join our team. To find out more about what becoming a foster carer can offer you please contact the Family Placement Team on 01635 503155 and ask to speak to the duty social worker who will arrange to send you further information if you like what you hear.
or click on the link below to fill in our enquiry request form
http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=18922
There is so much more to be gained by being a foster carer than you might think.
