Allowance review for foster care 'keeps children in best environment to thrive and shine'

Lancashire County Council's foster carers are part of a unique fostering family, made up of a strong, comprehensive network offering regular social events, activities, and financial support.

The council believes that foster care offers the best outcomes for children unable to remain with their birth parents and is keen to hear from interested parties who might wish to explore the opportunities of sharing their home and family with some of the most vulnerable in our community.  Fostering comes in many shapes and sizes from single children to sibling groups, infants to teens, non-disabled children and youngsters with additional needs.

At the latest cabinet meeting on 8 June, proposals were approved for the already generous rates to be raised, with payments for current carers to be backdated to 1 April.

Newly approved foster carers can expect to receive between £379.20 and £497.24 per week for each child in their care. In addition, there are holiday, birthday and other allowances for special annual events. All allowances will increase in 2023/24. 

County Councillor Cosima Towneley, cabinet member for Children and Families said: "Ensuring that children in our care are given the best possible future is at the heart of what we do here at the council.

"We are very aware of rising costs and want to ensure that our fostering community is able to concentrate on what matters most, the children in their care, so we are rising our allowances to cover the extra expenditures that they will face.

"We are determined to give our young people the best possible start, and investing in our foster carers is key to enabling the young people in our care to reach their full potential.

"Ensuring these children grow up in loving homes, supported, stable and where their individual aspirations can be nurtured is important to us and we will continue to do our utmost to give Lancashire's foster children the opportunity to thrive.

"To find out more about becoming a foster carer, know someone who might, or to find out more about the events, go to our fostering website."