Who qualifies for local authority foster rates?

Local authority foster rates are normally available to foster carers who have been formally approved by that local authority and are caring for a child under a placement agreement made with it. Approval alone does not guarantee a payment at a particular rate: the allowance is usually determined by the authority’s current payment policy, the carer’s approval category and the circumstances of the placement.

To qualify as an approved local authority foster carer, you generally need to:

• be an adult who meets the authority’s fostering requirements;
• complete the full fostering assessment, including statutory checks, references, health information and household assessments;
• provide suitable accommodation and a safe, stable home environment;
• complete the required preparation training and take part in the approval panel or decision-making process; and
• receive formal approval before a child is placed with you.

Each application is considered individually. The assessment looks at your ability to meet a child’s needs, work with social workers and other professionals, manage contact arrangements and contribute to care planning. It is not limited to income or previous fostering experience. The authority may also consider your household circumstances, available space, employment arrangements, relationships and support network when deciding whether you can foster safely and effectively.

Once approved, the rate that applies can depend on your approval status and the type of care you are authorised to provide. For example, an authority may use different arrangements for standard placements, parent-and-child placements, emergency care, respite or placements involving more complex needs. Some authorities also have progression or skills-based schemes, where the allowance reflects training, experience and the responsibilities attached to an approved role.

The child’s circumstances can affect the payment arrangements as well. Age, assessed needs, placement complexity, required supervision and agreed expenses may all be relevant. A local authority should explain which allowance applies before or when a placement is agreed, including whether any additional payments are separate from the basic fostering allowance.

Being related to a child, having cared for children before or receiving benefits does not by itself determine eligibility for a particular local authority rate. Kinship or connected-person foster carers may follow a different approval route, and their payment arrangements can depend on the local authority’s policy and the type of order or placement involved. Similarly, a foster carer approved by an independent fostering agency may receive payments under that agency’s terms rather than the local authority’s own foster carer rate schedule.

Payments may also depend on the placement being active and recorded correctly. Changes such as a child moving home, a planned break in a placement, a change in approval status or a decision to provide respite care can affect what is paid and when. The written agreement and the authority’s published terms should be checked rather than relying on a general rate quoted elsewhere.

Before applying, ask the fostering service for its current eligibility criteria and payment policy. Useful questions include:

• Which carers and placements are covered by the local authority’s foster rates?
• Does the rate vary by the child’s age, needs or placement type?
• Are there different rates for respite, emergency or specialist care?
• What training or approval level is linked to each rate?
• Which costs are included in the allowance and which are paid separately?
• When is the rate confirmed, and where is it recorded?

A fostering adviser can explain how the local policy applies to your circumstances before you commit to the assessment process. The fostering team at Become A Foster Family can also provide guidance on the assessment, preparation training, approval stages and the questions to raise about allowances with the relevant local authority.