Do foster carers get paid for attending training?

Training attendance is normally treated as part of the fostering approval and development process, rather than as paid employment. A fostering service may provide a separate training payment or reimburse certain costs, but this depends on its own policy and on whether the training takes place before or after approval.

There are usually two broad stages of fostering training:

• Preparation training: This takes place while you are considering fostering and completing your assessment. It helps you understand the needs of children in care, safeguarding responsibilities, behaviour support, safer caring, relationships with birth families and the practical demands of fostering.
• Ongoing training: After approval, foster carers normally complete further learning to maintain and develop their skills. The subjects may relate to a child’s individual needs, new responsibilities, safeguarding updates or the fostering service’s training requirements.

Attending either type of training does not automatically create an entitlement to a wage or a standard training fee. Foster carer payments are generally connected with the care provided and the terms of the individual fostering arrangement, rather than with the number of hours spent in a training session. Training should not therefore be assumed to be paid in the same way as an employee’s working time.

Some fostering services have arrangements that may cover reasonable expenses linked to training. These could include travel, parking, meals or other agreed costs, subject to the service’s rules and any evidence it requires. In some circumstances, an agency or local authority may offer a payment for completing particular preparation or development activities. This is not universal, so it should be confirmed before you rely on it.

The timing of the training can affect how it is handled financially. Preparation training usually happens before a person is approved and before a child is placed, so there may be no regular fostering allowance at that point. Training completed after approval may be considered within the wider support and payment arrangements for foster carers, but it does not necessarily result in an additional payment. The written terms should explain whether any amount is separate, included within another allowance or limited to expenses.

Training attendance can still be an important requirement even when it is unpaid. A fostering service needs to be satisfied that applicants and approved carers have the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, consistent care. Failure to attend required sessions, or to complete alternative learning when agreed, could affect the assessment process, approval review or ability to accept particular placements.

Before starting training, ask the fostering service to confirm:

• whether preparation training is free to attend;
• whether any payment is available for attending or completing the course;
• which travel, parking, childcare or other expenses can be considered;
• whether receipts or prior approval are needed for reimbursement;
• how ongoing training is recorded and whether it is compulsory;
• whether missed sessions can be rearranged or completed in another format; and
• where the arrangements are set out in your fostering agreement or payment information.

It is also sensible to ask how training fits around other responsibilities in your household. Fostering services should explain the expected commitment, the subjects covered and the support available if you need help understanding a requirement. This allows you to make a realistic decision about fostering before beginning the assessment.

The safest approach is to treat training payments as service-specific rather than guaranteed. Request the current written policy and ask for a clear explanation of any payment or expense arrangement before attending. That will help you distinguish between a fostering allowance, reimbursement of an approved expense and a separate training payment.