fostering disabled children

[medic1994]

I know that an extra fostering allowance is available when someone fosters a child with disabilities, but who decides whether a child is disabled or not, and is there a definition of "disabled"

No formal definition. It's based on the needs and the amount of extra work involved. You would be eligible if, for example, the child's needs meant that you couldn't look after another child alongside them due to the level of supervision or care required, if you needed specialist training (eg hoisting, managing a catheter), etc. What's the situation?

Our agency advertises extra allowance for children with disabilities.
Our child came very young with no diagnosis as short term placement.
Was placed with other carers who couldn’t cope with them so returned to us.
Now with us long term, we been through years of hospital visits, educational meetings, specialist appointments and have finally got diagnosis of adhd,asd, pda, sensory processing disorder.
Despite being approved for 4 children I cannot have anymore staying and I have been refused extra payments for disabilities.
If we ended placement the next carer would get a lot more allowance for the child.
We would never end the placement as the child is a part of our family.
It’s very unfair.

Cassimin,
Have you claimed DLA for your child? You dont have to qualify for the extra fostering allowance to get it.

Yes,,they get dla but this is their money and it to be spent on their needs.

Have you also claimed Carer's Allowance? You are not allowed to earn more than £123 per week, but fostering allowance does not constitute earnings for this purpose.

No, didn’t know about this, thanks I’ll look into it.
Didn’t know to claim dla until the IRO told me at LAC review.
Social workers should have all this info and relay it to carers.

You will get CA if you look after the person receiving DLA at the middle or highest rate for more than 35 hours per week. It is paid at the weekly rate of £66.15.