How we will look after you

Fostering is not easy; it can be challenging at times, but it is also incredibly rewarding. To help you be your best, we offer a range of support and rewards.

Support and benefits 

• Support and supervision from a designated supervising social worker
• Regular foster carer support groups
• You will be 'buddy' with an experienced foster carer - who will be on hand to offer you advice and support. 
• Education support and advice through our virtual school
• Membership to Doncaster Foster Carers Association (DFCA) – a registered charity, up by local foster carers, with the aim of supporting all Doncaster foster carers.
• Blue Light Discount – helping you to save money on big high street brands
• Membership to The Fostering Network who are on hand to offer independent support and guidance to all foster carers   

Training and ongoing development

We want you to have the right training so you can fully understand what fostering involves and have the knowledge to best support the child in your care.

Before you become a carer

You will be invited to attend the Fostering Network’s ‘Skills to Foster’ three day course, which covers:

• The role of the foster carer
• The needs of the children you will be looking after
• Listening to young people
• Working with professionals and families
• Safer caring
• Fostering skills
• Managing difficult behaviour
• Moving children on

Ongoing training

Fostering can be very challenging. To help you develop your skills in supporting children and young people through difficult times we run an extensive training programme for all foster carers.

All our training is delivered locally, so you won’t have to travel far. 

Financial support

We know our foster carers don’t foster for the money; they foster because they want to help a child to achieve their potential. But we also understand that it is something you need to consider.

You will receive a weekly payment for each child in your care. The payment is made up of two parts, a weekly allowance and a skill-level payment.

Weekly allowance  

To help support you, when you foster with us you will receive a weekly allowance for each child in your care. The allowance is there to cover the costs of caring for a child including food, clothing, transport, pocket money, and hobbies. 

Skill level fee payment

You will also receive a weekly skill payment based on your experience and training completed as a carer. Most foster carers will start at Level 1 or 2 depending on their experience and can progress to Level 3 with further evidence of learning and experience. All foster carers will have a personal development plan to enable them to achieve this.

 Foster for Doncaster also has targeted provision which includes parent and child assessment and same-day/ emergency placements. The weekly skill fee is paid at a rate of £300 per week.

Additional payments 

You will also receive additional payments to cover other one-off costs during the year. This includes:

• festivals such as Christmas, Eid and birthdays for each child
• an annual holiday grant to take children away on holiday
• grants for specific activities to help with children’s development

Foster carer payment examples: 

* These examples don’t include additional payments

Tax relief and exemptions  

As a foster carer you will be treated as self-employed for tax purposes. You will be able to claim:

• a tax exemption of up to £18,149 per household
• tax relief for every foster child you are caring for

You can find out more information about support for foster carers on the government’s website here.

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