Can fostering agencies provide start-up payments for new placements?

Start-up payments are one-off funds that some fostering agencies make available to help prepare for a child’s arrival. They are separate from the regular fostering allowance, which is intended to contribute towards the ongoing costs of caring for a child. A start-up payment is usually considered where a placement creates an immediate need for essential items or practical arrangements that cannot reasonably be met from the normal allowance.

What a start-up payment may cover

The purpose of the payment will depend on the child’s circumstances and the agency’s written policy. Examples may include:

• bedroom furniture or bedding needed to meet fostering standards;
• clothing, footwear or personal items for a child arriving without suitable belongings;
• equipment needed to support the child’s age, health, mobility or personal care;
• school uniform, essential educational items or other immediate school requirements; and
• practical travel or household arrangements directly connected with preparing for the placement.

These examples are not an automatic list of approved expenses. Agencies may exclude items that are considered ordinary household costs, already covered by another payment, or not necessary for the particular placement. The child’s social worker and the fostering agency may also need to agree what is required.

Who may qualify?

Eligibility can depend on whether the placement is planned or unplanned, whether the child has specific needs, the type of placement being made and the foster carer’s existing equipment. A newly approved foster carer may have different needs from an experienced carer who already has suitable furniture and supplies. The agency may also apply different arrangements for emergency, short-term, respite, parent-and-child or specialist placements.

Approval is normally based on a clear connection between the requested item and the child’s welfare or the requirements of the placement. Being approved to foster does not by itself mean that every requested cost will qualify. If a child’s needs change after arrival, the carer should raise this with the supervising social worker rather than assuming that a further payment will be made.

How the payment may be arranged

Agencies can structure support in different ways. A payment might be made before an agreed purchase, issued as reimbursement after receipts are provided, or arranged through the agency or another responsible service purchasing the item directly. The policy may set out spending limits, the evidence needed, who can authorise the cost and whether the item remains with the child or the foster household when the placement ends.

For that reason, foster carers should obtain written confirmation before buying anything expensive or committing to a contract. Useful points to clarify include:

• which items are eligible and whether there is a maximum amount;
• whether approval must be given before the purchase;
• who makes the final decision;
• whether an invoice, receipt, quotation or other evidence is required;
• how and when an approved payment is issued; and
• what happens if the child moves before an item has been purchased or paid for.

What if there is no start-up payment?

An agency may not offer a separate start-up grant, but this does not remove the need to discuss essential placement costs. The agency may have another process for requesting additional support, or the child’s placing authority may need to consider a particular expense. The responsible social workers can explain which organisation should assess the request and whether any other funding route applies.

Keep records of agreed costs and retain receipts where requested. If an item is urgent, explain why before spending wherever possible. Clear communication at the start helps distinguish a one-off preparation cost from the regular expenses covered by the fostering allowance and reduces the risk of a claim being declined.