Increase in fees and allowances for Devon County Council’s foster carers

Councillors have voted to raise fostering allowances at a meeting of their Cabinet this week.

For most children who are unable to live with their birth family, staying with a local foster carer is the best alternative as it enables them to grow up in a family environment, close to relatives, friends, their school, and health services that know them.

Like many local authorities, the Council are seeing a high number of children in care, but too few people wanting to become foster carers.

But councillors on Wednesday (10 April) agreed to raise foster carers’ allowances in line with the Department for Education’s (DfE’s) National Minimum Rates, as well as fee payments.

Allowances are paid to help cover the cost of caring for a child, and fee payments are made on top of allowances to recognise a foster carer’s skills and experience.

Councillors agreed that foster carers for the council will receive an increase of over six per cent in their allowances, backdated to April 2023. In addition, all foster carers who work with the council will receive an almost six per cent increase in their fees, also backdated to April 2023.

Councillors also agreed further increases from 1 April 2024, increasing the standard fostering allowances by at least three per cent. Fees for all the council’s foster carers will rise by a further three per cent.

The decision means that the amount that we pay our foster carers is more competitive, making it more financially viable for people to consider fostering directly with them.

Attracting a wider pool of potential carers will give us more opportunity to match children’s needs with the most suitable foster families, leading to more stable, long-lasting placements.

The increase also reflects the rising costs of living and aims to ensure that the our foster carers are well supported with the resources they need to provide the exceptional levels of care expected.

The Council want to simplify our payment structure, and over the next financial year foster carers will be consulted on how best to do that and to introduce age-related payments.

If you would like to find out about fostering in Devon, visit their website, Change a young person’s life and consider Fostering Devon