Childcare

You are responsible for the day-to-day care of the child or young person you are fostering.

You may sometimes need someone else to care for the child because you are not available. For example, while you are attending a training course.

Childcare should be provided by someone who knows the child. This could be one of your adult friends or family members.

If no one who knows the child is available to provide childcare, you should use a Council-approved childminder.

Childcare expenses

You can claim expenses for childcare for your foster child when:

• You are attending a fostering training course
• You are attending a meeting about a foster child
• You are doing sessional work as a foster carer
• You need to take a break from a particularly demanding foster placement

Expenses are paid at £6 per hour per child for a maximum of 10 hours a day.

To claim childcare expenses, you should:

• Get the costs approved by your supervising social worker in advanced, and
• Submit your claim to your supervising social worker on the Children's Provider Portal (ContrOCC)