What sort of money..........

[QOD]

Sorry, I know it sounds blunt, have been asked to emergency off the record foster care a girl from our village, by the mum who cant cope, really dont want her to go into the care system if I can help for a couple of weeks or a month,
What sort of money do social services pay? If it worked out and we took her on officially long term(if allowed) I need to know what I could expect
I am sorry fi that sounds tactless but its a HUGE thing to have put to you and I need to make sure i can handle it.
We dont have any spare money as it is, taking on another child would be a drain. we would need to decorate spare room, buy furniture etc etc
answers asap please
x

I've seen it advertised at 30k a year, but that's troubled teenagers! I think it's about £250 a week, but you'd only get paid if it was a SS placement, I think - not a private arrangement between you and her mum.

Thanks, her mum would pay out of her own disability allowance (its complicated) and it hopefully will just be a short term helping someone out way right now.
I am a licensed matron by my local council so do have advanced checks etc current.
Hopefully now it would just be a 2 week thing to get her out of a situation
poor kid

dont forget you would need to inform SS as well, as a private foster carer.

When i was working (sw) a few years back, we experienced this situation many times, although it was usually when we didnt have any of our own foster placements available, and the LA wouldnt pay for agency

Back then (disclaimer here as im not sure it is still possible) if a child was staying with either a family member or family friend short term, and money was tight, we would agree to a weekly payment out of Section 17 Child in Need money. This was no where near the regular foster carer allowance - more near £50 per week, but it is maybe worth looking into?

I thought that was only if the 'placement' was for longer than 28 days?

sorry, yes, i meant if the OP kept the young person on.

www.privatefostering.org.uk/

Hi,

Social services will not pay you if this is a private arrangement.

If it is a placement through social services you are entitled to a fostercare payment on a par with 'stranger' foster carers (less extra allowances for enhanced training etc). Unfortunately many social workers are not aware this is the case so you will have to argue for it (contact [www.frg.org.uk]] for details).

You will need to inform social services of the arrangement as the law now requires private foster arrangements to be registered (unless you are a close relative).