how we support you

support and allowance in flintshire

how we support you

We’re here to support you. That means we’ll do everything we can to help you provide a stable and loving home for a foster child.

Even before a child arrives, Foster Wales Flintshire provides in-depth guidance and training to make sure fostering is the right fit for you and your family. But the support doesn’t end there.

Once you are fostering a child, we offer:

  • ongoing guidance from a dedicated supervising social worker or supervising support worker
  • fostering pay to cover essential living costs
  • a community of local fostering families who can share experience
  • friendship and social events
  • among many more benefits.
It’s important to consider all of the local benefits for a better understanding, before comparing foster carer payments.

Read on to learn more about the fostering support and rewards we offer.

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foster care allowance

do foster carers get paid?

Yes, foster carers receive a payment to cover the costs of caring for a child.  This amount will vary based on many factors, including

  • how many children you foster,
  • what age the children are
  • and how long you’ve fostered for.

We also make sure you’re not out of pocket when you need a break. Your respite entitlement is paid, which means your allowance doesn’t stop when you take time to recharge.

However, being a foster carer isn’t a conventional job. It doesn’t fit into a box. It’s a home-based 24-7 skilled vocation which we support you financially to do.

At Foster Wales we care about children receiving everything they need to thrive, so we split the payment into 3 parts; the weekly child allowance + payment for skills + additional payments.

child's allowance

In Flintshire, the child’s allowance payment is £232.91-£265.52 per week, depending on the child’s age. This part of the payment is given for the sole purpose of buying anything the child needs, such as food, clothing, or toiletries plus covering additional household bills.

payment for skills

Payment for skills are made on top of allowances to recognise a foster carer’s time, skills and experience. In Flintshire, the payment for skills element ranges from £65 to £461 depending on how long you’ve been a foster carer, what experience you have and what type of fostering you do.

additional payments

In Flintshire, we also provide a payment for the child’s birthday, religious holidays and mileage expenses, plus we provide equipment such as baby or child’s bedroom furniture as needed.

our commitment to you

Every Local Authority in Wales has signed up to what we call the ‘National Commitment’. This is an agreed package of training, support, and rewards enjoyed by every one of our foster carers in Wales.

Social worker and foster carer

local fostering team

You’re not out there on your own. You have a team to support and encourage you, every step of the way.

Support is available at any time – not just inside office hours. We’re dedicated to working as a team with our foster carers, and that means we provide support 24/7. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. We’ll be there

Supervising social worker and foster carer

dedicated supervising social worker or supervising support worker

You’ll have skilled and experienced professional social workers and support workers on hand, with a fostering team member dedicated to supporting you, your family and your network.

Your Foster Wales team are part of the local authority, working alongside the child’s social worker. This means access to information about the child and other social services departments and closer working links with children’s social workers.

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peer support

You’ll also be invited to events and activities designed to bring you closer to other foster families. To give you new experiences, new friendships, and new memories. Experienced pioneer foster carers will support you.

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learning opportunities

Our learning and development framework is tried and tested, developed with foster carers and consistent across Wales. Local training courses are a great way to meet other foster carers, and we offer other resources, tools and ways to learn too.

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more questions on financial support?

We'll share and explain all the support you can receive. For a full breakdown of the local fostering allowances and financial support we offer, request an information pack.

request an information pack

other support and rewards

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discounts and memberships

From the Blue Light Card membership to exciting discounts on activities and tickets, there’s something thrilling for everyone to enjoy!

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deduction on your council tax

50% deduction on your council tax

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fostering friendly

5 extra days annual leave if employed by Flintshire County Council.