Fostering a disabled child
The role of an independent fostering agency
Can I choose who I foster?
How to foster
What are the benefits of fostering with an independent fostering agency?
What happens when a child is taken into care?
Fostering process: what happens on an initial home visit?
Can you foster if you have mental health issues?
Fostering with local authority vs independent agency
Interview: Life as a foster parent during the pandemic
Becoming A Foster Carer
Benefits of becoming a foster parent
What is a Care Leaver?
What is a Foster Carer?
What is Foster Care?
Do I become a Foster Carer?
Fostering Regulations
How much do Foster Parents get paid?
How to Foster a Child
How long does it take to become a Foster Carer?
How to foster – everything you ever wanted to know
Facts about Foster Care
What are the Foster Care requirements?
Foster Care Handbook
Foster Carer Job Description
Changing IFA - Transferring to Capstone
Fostering Definition
Foster Care Statistics
Fostering Assessment
Fostering Outcomes
Fostering Stories
Fostering Children UK
Children needing Fostering
8 reasons why a child may be taken into care
Fostering as a Career
Looked after Children
Top transferable job skills to become a foster carer
Fostering as a same sex couple
Fostering while renting
Can I foster if...?
Mythbusting the top 10 Foster Care Myths
Can I foster if I am disabled?
LGBT Fostering Mythbusting
Can I foster if I have pets?
Can I Foster A Child?
Can you Foster and Work?
Can you Foster with a Criminal Record
Fostering as a Single Parent
LGBT Family and Foster Care
Fostering across Cultures
Muslim Fostering
Christian Foster Care
Sikh
Empty Nest Syndrome and Foster Care
10 things you can do when your Children fly the nest
Can I Foster?
Fostering Babies - Myths
Focusing on Parent & Child Fostering
Fostering Siblings
Fostering Teenagers
Fostering Teenagers - Breaking down the Myths
Fostering Unaccompanied and Asylum Seeking Children
Mother and Baby Foster Placements
Private Fostering
Therapeutic Fostering - Multi-disciplinary Assessment Treatment & Therapy Service (MATTS)
Young Children Fostering Placements
Difference between short and long-term fostering
How to prepare a child for becoming a care leaver
Children who foster: impact of fostering on birth children
How to prepare your home for a foster child
10 tips for foster children’s education
How to prepare your foster child for secondary school
Tips for coping when foster placements end
Tips for foster parents during Coronavirus
What happens if foster parents get divorced?
5 ways to manage Mother’s Day with foster children
Tips for managing foster children’s bedtime routines
How to handle foster child bullying
Fostering allowances and the gender pay gap
Tips for keeping foster children safe online
How to adopt from Foster Care
5 ways to manage Father’s Day with foster children
8 most common fostering challenges
Supporting foster children’s contact with birth families
How to deal with empty nest syndrome
How to recognise signs of depression in foster children
Can you take a foster child on holiday?
Tips and advice on fostering with a disability
10 tips on connecting with your Foster Child
Fostering versus Adoption - What's the difference?
How Fostering can change a future
How to adopt from Foster Care
How to encourage children to read in Foster Care
How to prepare a Foster Child's bedroom
Online grooming - unwanted contact and how to identify it
Reading and storytelling with Babies and young Children
Supporting Children's Learning
Technology and Internet Safety advice
The 20 most recommended books Foster Carers and young people should read
The impact of early childhood traumas on adolescence and adulthood
Tips for coping with attachment disorders in Foster Children
Tips for supporting reunification in Foster Care
Together for a better Internet - Web Safety for Foster Children
What is sexual abuse and sexual violence
Foster Child behaviour management strategies
Foster Parent Advice: What to expect in your first year of fostering
Capstone's twelve tips at Christmas
10 celebrities who grew up in Foster Care
Celebrating our Children and Young People
Could Millenials be the solution to the Foster Care crisis?
Do you work in Emergency Services?
Form F Assessor and Assessment Training
Foster Care Fortnight
Improving Children's Welfare - Celebrating Universal Children's Day
It's time to talk about Mental Health and Foster Care
New Year - New Career - Become a Foster Carer
Promoting the rights and wellbeing of persons with Disabilities
Refugee Week
Young people and Mental Health in a changing world
Young People Charities
At Capstone we will reward you in various ways; a benefit includes the weekly allowance that you are entitled to, in order to complete your fostering task. You will also benefit from training and guidance from our dedicated team who will support you in all you do.
Children in care are there because their parent or parents cannot look after them. This can be due to any combination of factors. Most (more than 60%) of the children in care have been taken from their homes by the local authorities due to abuse or neglect. There isn’t much better a foster carer can do than take in a child who has been so traumatised and offer that child safety, security, and love.
A foster child is able to see how a functioning family unit operates. When all that children and young people have seen is a home life filled with neglect or abuse, they may learn to accept this as normal. As a foster parent, you can open the child’s eyes to what a normal child’s life can be like. You know you are doing good work when you help kids be kids simply by providing a caring, safe and secure home.
While being paid to foster is in itself is not a good reason for being a foster carer, what it does provide is the opportunity for families to have children in their lives without the financial pressure and stress. Many people would love to have children to love and care for but for monetary reasons, feel that they cannot afford to care for a child properly. An individual or couple who don’t have the resources to clothe, feed, and care for a child, are given the precious opportunity to create a loving home for a child or young person without the concern about being able to provide for that child or young person.
The basic weekly fostering allowance covers general household expenses, food, mileage, school meals, the child’s clothing, and pocket money. Then there is a weekly fee based on the child’s special needs. The average total pay per week from an independent fostering agency varies depending on location and on the placement, and is worked out per child per week. It will include both the allowance and the fee beyond the allowance. The emphasis here is that the allowance may well differ from area to area and dependant upon the circumstances of the child or young person. Any needs foster children have because of physical, emotional, or mental challenges are covered. As well as the allowance and fee, there is the benefit of being able to claim a tax exemption of up to £10,000, and you also get tax relief for every week (or part week) that a child is in your care.
When you become a foster carer with Capstone, you become part of a network. In the process of becoming approved as foster parents, you are assigned a social worker, receive training, and meet like-minded people also in the process of becoming a foster carer. When you are approved and receive your first placement, you already have a network of foster carers with whom you can share concerns and information. Learning about the intricacies of fostering is an ongoing process.
Foster carers are needed all the time. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Capstone Foster Care on 0800 012 4004 or simply click here.
If you’ve got any questions or would like to find out more about fostering with Capstone, fill out the form below.
An experienced fostering advisor from your local area will then be in touch.
Start the conversation today. Our team of friendly advisors are on hand to answer any foster care questions you may have. We can offer you honest and practical advice that can help you decide if becoming a foster carer is the right path for you.
