Skills payments

• Foundation level – £0 per week
• Standard level per week – £212.50 (age 0-10), £305.17 (age 11-17)
• Enhanced payments/previous specialist level payment – up to £551.83 per week.

See Approved foster carers – payment policy for more detail about additional allowances and payments.

Allowances

• Age 0-4 – £203 per week
• Age 5-10 – £223 per week
• Age 11-15 – £255 per week
• Age 16-17 – £298 per week.

See Approved foster carers – payment policy for more detail about skills payments.

Annual leave

All Hertfordshire foster carers who actively foster are entitled to annual leave payments. Full time carers will be paid 2 weeks annual leave payments, Sleepover carers only are entitled to 1 week annual leave payment.

Exceptional/Additional payments 

In exceptional circumstances, additional allowances may be paid. These are agreed on a case by case basis and must not be covered by existing allowances. They may include:

• costs of activities and trips
• sports equipment
• musical instruments
• meeting special dietary requirements
• additional hair / skin care needs relating to a young person’s ethnicity etc.

Mockingbird Hub carers

Hub carer payment of £541.01 per week, plus hub allowance and activity budget.

Parent and child carers

£811.52 skills payment  per week during placement

(£541.01retainer whilst awaiting placement)

Emergency foster carers

Daily payment of £75 Emergency retainer

Plus enhanced payment/ARC level payment when child is placed, plus allowances:

£75  (skills payment) per day

£34 (child allowance based on 11-15 yrs) per day

NEST Foster Carers (Intensive fostering)

£1,500 per week per child. In addition, child allowance according to child’s age