Fostering and childcare costs

[jemimafuddleduck]

Hi
We are respite foster carers and currently we both work full time. We are beginning to think about whether we could take on younger children on a slightly longer term basis and are consider if or how we could make that work.
Giving up work entirely isn't an option but I could potentially go part time.
Do any of you have experience of fostering pre school age children and working?
What's the situation with childcare and who pays for the childcare - is it is out of our fostering allowance or the LA?
Thanks!

you will be expected to look after pre-school children and not put them with childminders etc

Hi you won't be able to put preschool children into child care, they need consistency and you will be expected to provide all of their care

There’s a fostered child that goes to my sons preschool so I don’t think what PP’s have said is correct.

From the term after their 3rd birthday children can access 15 or 30 hours at preschool/childminder, term time only. Might work if you can work school hours.

Pre school as in montessori or play school for a couple of hours a day is one thing, as it's of benefit to the child and their development, actual childcare such as a creche or childminder so you can work is different and would be discouraged.

You can get 15 hours for 2 year olds as they will be looked after children. You will need to apply for that with your local authority.
All 3 and 4 year olds are eligible for 15 hours. If the social worker feels it is beneficial for the child to attend for 30 hours in a childcare setting and it is written into the child's care plan you may qualify for 30 hours for a 3 or 4 year old as you're working. You need to meet the same earnings criteria as all parents.
Again you would need to apply to your local authority.

Yes access to funded hours to support their development of course. Not using childcare to enable you to go to work. I have previously fostered many preschool children and this was always the rule.

Thanks all. The reason I ask is we were offered tv e opportunity to foster two toddlers recently, both of which were already in nursery. So we were wondering if, in this situation, we would be expected to pay for childcare or whether it be the LA.
We have been clear with the SWs so far that we could not take on pre school age children for the exact reason that I could not give up work entirely.

I foster children in nursery. It's funded by the LA. However, if you have preschool children who don't go to nursery, you can't put them in childcare so that you can work. It is anticipated you will stop working.

Thanks @londonscalling. Do you mind me asking how old your FC are and how old they were when they came to you?

Totally understand about not putting the children into childcare so we can work - we would have to say no in that instance and as I have said, have been clear from the start about this.

But maybe, in the case we had this week, of they are already in childcare and this is their routine, it could be a possibility.

Would you have been able to keep them in their current nursery?

@SandieCheeks @SandieCheeks Not sure. Once we knew we would not be in a position to take them, we didn't make any further enquires.

@jemimafuddleduck

Thanks *@londonscalling*. Do you mind me asking how old your FC are and how old they were when they came to you?

Totally understand about not putting the children into childcare so we can work - we would have to say no in that instance and as I have said, have been clear from the start about this.

But maybe, in the case we had this week, of they are already in childcare and this is their routine, it could be a possibility.

I had a four year old boy who was already in nursery when he came to me. He stayed at the same nursery but it entailed lots of driving as it was quite a long way from me. He then moved up to school near my home.