We are passionate about supporting our foster carers and believe there are some great reasons why you should join us. With competitive fees, comprehensive training, and dedicated social worker support, our foster carers are never alone on their rewarding journey. Join us and make a real difference in a child's life while reaping the benefits of being part of our fostering family.
Allowances
It is important that you feel financially secure when you foster a Brent child. In April 2025 we increased our fostering allowances to ensure our allowances are competitive.
Brent foster carers can now receive up to £495 a week, depending on the child’s age and the carer’s experience.
The allowances are to reward the foster carer for their skills as well as providing for the expenses involved in looking after the child.
They are made up of an allowance to cover the needs of the child, calculated on their age and a fee element for the carer, based on their level of skill and experience.
Weekly combination of fostering child allowances and foster carer fee:
| Age of child/young person | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 - 4 year | £232.19 | £378 | £412 |
| 5 - 10 years | £244.80 | £391 | £426 |
| 11 - 15 years | £278.52 | £433 | £467 |
| 16+ years | £308.58 | £460 | £495 |
On top of this, we also offer:
- a free laptop or tablet to ensure that foster carers can access virtual meetings, attend virtual training and keep up to date with emails and logs
- a Blue Light Card with more than 15,000 discounts from national and local retailers
- annual social and celebration events for foster carers, including a summer seaside trip and end of year celebration ball
- £1,000 referral reward for foster carers who refer a friend or family member and they become a Brent foster carer
- one-off payments for special occasions throughout the year like birthdays, holidays and festivals
- support with items such as a bed or cot, mattress, bedding and a car seat to help up get set up.
Benefits, support and training
In addition to a generous allowance, our fostering package also includes:
- dedicated one-to-one support from an experienced social worker
- 24/7 telephone support
- extensive learning, development and training opportunities
- membership with The Fostering Network which provides foster carers with market-leading legal protection insurance covering the whole fostering household, independent support, and connection to a UK network of foster carers
- mockingbird family programme – Brent is implementing the Mockingbird model which aims to improve placement stability for children who are looked after, prioritise sibling connections, support permanence and improve the support provided to foster carers
- peer support group
- access to free therapeutic support and training to support foster carers along their foster caring journey.
Cost of day-care for a foster child
The early-years education grant, also known as the 15 free hours scheme, entitles all three and four year olds to 15 hours of free education each week for 38 weeks (equivalent to school term time).
Working families can claim additional hours depending on the age of the child. Find out more about what childcare you could be entitled to.
