Fostering to make money please solve this arguement for me

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

I'm currently arguing with someone about making a profit out of fostering.

My stance is,it's not possible unless you are doing it wrong but they claim they know large numbers of foster carers who say I'm wrong.

So given that you are the ones in the know can you let me know your thoughts on the matter so I can either show them and open their eyes to reality or so I can show them and stutter my apologies.

Well, minimum recommended allowances for 11-15 yo's are £200pm. If you have 4 children and are getting an extra £800 pm into the household income, then yes, that's going to make a difference. If like my friend you have children with SN, it will be more. You'd work very hard for it though and it's only like anyone else getting a 2nd job or a SAHM going back to work.

Sorry, that £200 is to cover expenses. They gat "paid" on top of that, so yes I should think it's entirely possible for fostering to make a substantial difference to family finances (as it should) . Depends who's doing it. If someone's given up a lucrative career to take on difficult children probably not, but for someone used to a low wage, then yes absolutely.

Sorry, that £200 is to cover expenses. They gat "paid" on top of that, so yes I should think it's entirely possible for fostering to make a substantial difference to family finances (as it should)

Sorry Club, it does NOT work like that for us. My husband and I do NOT make a 'profit' from fostering. This past year we have had to take £1,500 from our savings just to survive.

Our local authority pays between £120 and £140 1 week and that is both the allowance part and our part.

We get a TOTAL of £120 for a primary school age child and £140 for a senior school child. From that £120 has to come EVERYTHING including expenses to take the children to contact and therapy sessions, clothing, uniform, clothes, everything. I do realise it is different in private agencies, but for my LA that is it. My particular annoyance is that one of my foster children's siblings is fostered by a private agency (the LA did not have any suitable carers and it was vital they we separated) get over THREE times the amount we get per week, plus expenses. So it does vary hugely!

We have been fostering or adopting for different LA's over 20 years, but it is only in the last 2 years or so, when in our current LA expenses and extra help are not given, that we realise we cannot continue to do this unless things change financially. I hate that it is all down to money, but unless out LA has a more generous allowance we cannot do it for much longer. I should say we take the most difficult to place children and hence they need so much extra support from professionals that we are unable to work.

That's exactly my point yellow. Where it's extra income in a low income household it will make a positive financial difference. Where good earners are sacrificing their careers to foster it will have a negative impact.

I do know of families where one partner is holding down a good job and the fostering money is "extra" and it has made a big difference to their disposable income. Sounds like it's different in different LA's though.

I have another friend who has takes teenage foster children on the basis that it's less hassle than the lodgers she used to have to make ends meet. Not sure how myself but so far she is finding that to be true.

By profit I mean using it to lift you from low income to comfortable. And no I don't think people should do it for free I think the allowance should be increased)

Thanks, Needs - wish you made the decisions for my LA. My previous post explains why we do NOT make a profit as the allowance we get one all encompassing payment (between £120 and £140) and that has to cover al expenses plus ordinary living costs. Had we not paid off our mortgage some years ago (not as a result of fostering allowances! LOL) we would not be able to foster.

I think in answer to your question fostering takes us from a comfortable income to an extremely low one as we both had to stop working to do this!! LOL

I only know one foster carer, and she earns a shed load of money. (I know, as I do her accounts for her.)

I suppose, if you took into consideration that she needs a bigger house and car than she otherwise would, then the cost of these are "actual" (although not "allowable") then perhaps she doesn't really make as much as it looks like she does, on her tax return.

She is in it for the money, though. I'm not saying she's not a good carer, but she wouldn't do it if she wasn't earning good money.

That's exactly my point yellow. Where it's extra income in a low income household it will make a positive financial difference. Where good earners are sacrificing their careers to foster it will have a negative impact.

100% right then, Club - sorry skim reading as have one child here while my husband does the school run.

In the other foster carers I know locally, most seem to be retired couples - when I guess it is a supplement to pensions, and of the younger ones I do not know of anyone who works, though some are self employed. We began thinking we could be self employed, but the lack of time meant that simply was not possible, If we get one free day a week between meetings, appointments and contact we think ourselves lucky! Despite everything we do love it though, just not sure we can continue much longer purely because of finances.

She is in it for the money, though. I'm not saying she's not a good carer, but she wouldn't do it if she wasn't earning good money.

Is this for a private agency, Sanity?

I think we are the opposite, we do it (in the past few years anyway) despite existing on our savings and I would love to do it for many more
years.

I am childish enough to want to scream IT'S JUST NOT FAIR that our LA pays so little (see previous posts). I think many people think we get a payment for the foster child and one for ourselves, but we DON'T, it is just £140 COMBINED.

I look after two extremely damaged children. They came with almost nothing. The youngest didnt even have a jumper. The oldest had clothes that were either 2 years younger than him, or 2 years older. Neither had a coat or winter shoes.

The oldest eats us out of house and home, because of his previous experiences. The youngest wakes through the night and is very destructive. For this, we get around £250 per week. take into account the food, clothes, nappies, shoes, toys, enrichment activities and clubs....plus petrol to and from all the meetings we have to attend...there's not much left.

FOr example, this week, I will be at the therapist, the school, the social workers office and I will have a social worker here two days this week. Even the weekend is not my own.

We are fortunate not to need the money, but we are not jetting off to Barbados any time soon. A wet week in Wales more likely. With the little ones. SO no break for us either.

That said, I do know FP who made more from fostering than from a senior nursing role. But they took on a teenager with leukemia and special needs when no-one else would take him. He's a credit to their patience and hard work.

Fostering is no a job, it's your life. You have to be emotionally resilient, have a big enough house, not be reliant on the income ( as gaps between lace menus are common) and you have to be available for 24 hrs a day, with no sickness, holiday or pension. I have been threatened, assaulted, falsely accused of abuse, spat at in court, supported young people through rape trials, the asylum process, incest, drug taking and more that I cannot mention. This week I have dealt with a hundred pound phone bill, broken door frame, destroyed school shoes, wallpaper ripped off a wall,bought a prom dress and paid a 70 mile taxi fare for a 'lost' teen. On my birthday I gave up my dinner to go and retrieve one of my former children from working in a 'gentleman's club' as she texted me in terror. We also got a dawn visit from the police looking for a child who lived here a long time ago. This is not an unusual week for me.

If fostering is so lucrative and straightforward, why is there such a shortage of carers? And why do over 1/2 of people drop out before panel?

dwellsunderthesink - I could have written this as we are in an identical situation ourselves! Nice to know we are not alone!

I've NC to answer. I work for a LA and it is possible to make a profit. I earn £3,576 (net)a month as my wage plus £2,792 which is the children's allowance.
I could easily have paid our mortgage off years ago and I know carers who have done.
However, my dc have 3 holidays a year. Two in the uk and one abroad. The one abroad alone costs us about £8,000. We also have numerous days out and have just bought our annual Merlin passes which cost another £700. Between them they do ballet, tap, horse riding, karate, sailing and professional drama classes. We have also paid thousands to add 3 bedrooms and two more bathrooms to our originally 3 bedroom house. We also need a much bigger car than most. We will never be rich but we are comfortable and I do consider myself very lucky to be earning a lot of money doing something I love.
I have to do a lot of other stuff as well as looking after the dc. I train new carers and mentor them through their early placements. I help with recruitment.

Anyone thinking they can foster for the money will probably get weeded out during their assessment. I've known a few get through and they don't usually last long. I did know one carer though who was a arse. He was a single male carer living with his teenage son and he fostered a teenage boy. The boy absconded and refused to return so the police brought him to me as I was on emergency duty that night. It turned out the carer had two fridges, one for him and his son and one for foster son. He stocked foster sons fridge each week and the child had to cook for himself. If he ran out of food before the end of the week he wasn't allowed anymore until stock up day. I reported him and he doesn't foster anymore.

When I started fostering 11 years ago my total income was £480 a month. I gave up a job that paid 4 times that amount. I've worked really hard to progress but I definitely would recommend anyone fostering simply for the money? You are on call 24/7 which at an hourly rate works out at less than £5.00 an hour.

Would you mind me asking what your monthly expenses are? And what the fostering income is expected to be used for?

Food £250 a week ish.
Gas £80 a month
Electricity £100 a month
Other utilities about £200 a month.
Mortgage £1100 (huge loan on the mortgage to pay for extension.
DCs clubs and activities £380 a month.
Weekly trip to local carvery £60
Family trip to cinema with meal each month £140
Holidays about £11,000 a year. We get an extra allowance of £1196 towards holidays.
Days out £100 a month (just food and petrol as Merlin card covers most entrance costs).
Clothing- I don't set a budget I just buy as and when needed or if I see stuff I think they will like.

That's a rough estimate but about right.
My LA don't stipulate what the children's allowance is spent on or ask for receipts as some do. They just expect that they are well dressed and fed and all their needs are being catered for. Schools also receive funding for looked after children. I ask mine to pay for all residentials so the two in secondary school also go abroad with the school at least once a year. Plus they go on all other trips in the UK.

Expenses are difficult to break down but weekly....

40+ on petrol ferrying kids here and there and doing social work type stuff
CLubs: about 10 per week
food: about 15/20 pw per child (incl nappies, wipes etc)
clothing: Probably about 10 per week, spread over the time they are with us. Includes school uniform. likewise shoes, about a fiver a week (school shoes, trainers, football boots, wellies).

Now factor in less tangible stuff - like days out, treats, having the heating on all day, electricity for extra washing...

Plus we like to put away some money as savings for the children, plus weekly pocket money.

Deduct cost of any respite care that week.

You can see how it all adds up.

Yes I forgot about petrol to all the meetings etc and pocket money is another £100 a month. Another £150 into savings accounts. It does add up.

I've NC to answer. I work for a LA and it is possible to make a profit. I earn £3,576 (net)a month as my wage plus £2,792 which is the children's allowance

WOW - Why does my LA not pay their carers a wage?? We have 20 years experience so it is not as if we were on a lower rate or anything.

At the moment we get c£1300 a month which is for EVERYTHING concerned with fostering for two children. We also get a carer's allowance for one of our own children but that's it, no benefits or anything and no child benefit as out disabled son is an adult.

It has to be economy all the way these days...especially as we have a huge petrol bill with running the children around. And don't mention food shopping!!

Fostermama would you mind letting me know which LA you work for? I realise you won't want to say it publically but if you feel you could message me I would be so interested. I had no idea this was possible, though we did work for another LA for ten years and their rates were more realistic.

How many children?

Many on this post have forgotten the after care lots of foster parents do
most don't just throw the children out many continue with support (all unpaid), With some we are the only family they have, some continue with FP Support for many years after care.
Example I have just completed 12 month's training too able us too put in Pathway planning and personal budget's with Advocates., in place for disabled children who have are in transition of leaving care or left care
there is no foster payment's for these things., just help with continuity of care with knowing the children's needs is very important for their long term future...

As for baby allowance's £120 a week, no mention of expense's we all incur, have too run a car , two car's in some cases, petrol often cost in excess of £100 a week, at 30p a mile insufficient too cover car costs, petrol allowances often paid months late , often missed , getting rightful allowance's is like getting blood out of a stone.

This is what I'm meaning fasparent, this is the type of thing I hear from foster carers all the time. I've known so few who are not considered to be on a low income that I'm utterly bemused by someone who reckons they will make a comfortable living from it.

Even hmrc allows you to exempt a large % of your income if your fostering because its covered by special rules due to the costs often being as much or more than the LA's tend to pay,I read something today that talked about loads of FC qualifying for WTC to me that means you must earn below the threshold so not raking it in at all.

Agree NEEDS have one's left care over 10 years ago, still help out with washing, Sunday dinner ( regular phone call's save me some what's on),
help financial in small ways, Help with care plans and personal budgets
regular meetings reviews with Adult care teams, list go's on, All without pay. Many FC's are involved in continuity of care for Ex FC after they leave care. all of course without allowance's or pay just as an extended Family, would not have it any other way, it's how it is.

One thing that this thread makes abundantly clear is that it is virtually impossible to survive financially as a foster carer on the standard LA allowances and fees.
Given the amazing, dedicated work that some foster carers do (I which I could say most, but that has not been our experience, unfortunately) it is appalling that they are not paid more.
Most households need two decent salaries in order to survive and put a bit aside for savings, pensions, holidays etc. Unless you are fostering at least 2 teenagers, it does not pay anything close to a decent salary, by which I mean considerably above minimum wage!
I cannot see, however, how the payments system could be improved unless the whole training and CPD structure is completely revised. Or privatised, which is probably where it's headed anyway.