Support for Foster Carers: How to Meet the Financial Requirements
Jun 28, 2023
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If you wish to be there for children who have gone through some degree of trauma far too early in their life, there is no better way to do so than to join the foster care system. As there is a constant need for new foster carers everywhere, you will most certainly get multiple opportunities to help the young.However, you must consider the practical aspects of fostering as well. Very few people have the financial independence necessary to quit work and still take proper care of themselves, their own family, and the children assigned to them for fostering.
This situation is precisely why receiving financial support is a requirement for foster care providers. So, how will a foster carer provide for themselves, their family, and the foster children, if they cannot fit in a full-time job? Let’s find out.
Why Can’t Foster Carers Hold a Full Time Job?
There are no legal restrictions that prevent a foster care provider from working, be it full time or part time. Nevertheless, if you are accepted, trained, and enlisted as a foster caregiver, you are not likely to have enough time left for a full-time job.
When you become a foster carer, you are legally obliged to provide the children in care with as much of your time every day as they need. In case a working foster carer is not prioritising the children that they were given temporary/permanent custody of, he/she will not be able to use job responsibilities as an excuse for such neglect of duty.
If the enlisting agency finds a foster carer is spending far too many hours at work and failing to meet all needs of the children given in their care because of that, he/she is likely to be delisted from the fostering network. For most foster care providers, a side job with limited and flexible hours is the best kind of job for as long as they remain active.
Do Foster Carers Receive Any Financial Support from the Agency?
Every foster carer in the UK receives substantial financial support from their Local Authority, or the Independent Fostering Agency where they signed up. The allowance provided to each foster carer is meant to both take care of all financial requirements related to the children in their care and compensate the foster carer for his/her time, effort, and dedication.
The allowance allotted to a foster caregiver will depend on the agency they signed up with, where the foster home is located, the general and specific needs of each foster child, etc. Visit thefca.co.uk if you wish to know more about the kind of financial, functional, and emotional support that’s available.
Additional Funds Will be Provided to Support a Foster Carer, If Needed
Additional funds might be provided by an IFA to make sure you have enough funds to enjoy special holidays as a family. You will need to contact your fostering agency to know which holidays are included in their list.
If the funds allotted as fostering support are deemed insufficient for some reason, then the foster carer will need to contact their agency for support. If the caregiver’s points are valid, then they can be eligible for a higher allowance. However, that’s not guaranteed, and it will be decided based on the agency’s discretion.
If you are considering becoming a foster carer, don’t forget to factor in the financial aspects before going ahead.
Tags: English