Where can I find current local authority foster rates?

The most reliable way to identify a current local authority fostering rate is to use the council’s own fostering service documents, then confirm the figures and conditions directly with that service. Rates may be shown in an allowance guide, foster carer handbook, payments policy, fee schedule or a downloadable council document rather than on the main fostering webpage.

When searching a council website, try terms such as fostering allowances , foster carer payments , fostering fees and allowances or foster carer finance policy . The relevant document may sit under fostering, children’s services, becoming a foster carer or council policies. Check that the document relates to foster carers rather than adoption, kinship care or general children’s services payments.

A published schedule should normally make clear:

• the period covered by the figures, such as the financial or allowance year;
• whether the payment is an allowance, a professional fee, or a combination of both;
• the age band or age groups to which each rate applies;
• whether different amounts apply to emergency, short-term, long-term, respite or parent-and-child placements;
• any enhanced rate linked to a carer’s skills, approval level or the child’s assessed needs;
• what ordinary costs the allowance is intended to cover; and
• which expenses or additional payments need separate approval.

Do not rely on a figure simply because it appears in a search result or an undated webpage. Council pages can retain older documents, and a PDF may have been replaced without changing every reference elsewhere on the site. Look for a publication date, revision date, financial year, version number or statement confirming when the schedule was last reviewed. If none is shown, treat the figure as unconfirmed until the fostering service verifies it.

It is also important to establish which authority’s rates apply. The council assessing and approving you may have its own payment structure, while the authority responsible for a particular child may be involved in agreeing the placement. The arrangements can depend on the type of placement, the child’s needs and the terms agreed before the placement starts. Ask the fostering service to explain whether the published schedule applies to every placement or whether a placement-specific agreement will set out different payments.

When contacting a council, ask for the latest written schedule and request clarification on points that are not obvious. Useful questions include:

• Is this the current schedule, and what period does it cover?
• Does the stated amount include both the child’s allowance and any carer fee?
• Which age band applies if a child moves into a new age group during a placement?
• Are specialist, emergency, respite or parent-and-child placements paid under a separate arrangement?
• Are payments affected by the number of children placed or by the number of approved places?
• Which items are expected to come from the basic allowance, and which can be claimed separately?
• When and how are payments made?
• Can the council provide a written example of the payment for the type of placement being considered?

Keep the document or email confirming the answer, including its date and the name of the relevant council service. This gives you a clear record of the information used when comparing fostering options. It is particularly useful where a website lists a headline allowance but provides limited detail about fees, enhanced payments or reimbursed expenses.

Local authority rates should be considered alongside the wider support package, not in isolation. Training, supervising social work support, equipment, practical guidance and access to specialist services may affect the overall financial and professional arrangements. Before applying, ask for the complete payment policy and the terms that would apply after approval, rather than relying on a single weekly figure.

If the council’s website does not provide a current schedule, its fostering team should be able to explain how the latest rates are communicated and what information can be shared before an application. A clear written breakdown is the best basis for understanding the likely payments, the conditions attached to them and any costs that remain the foster carer’s responsibility.