When you are first approved as a Bury Council foster carer, we will pay you a one-off fee of £1000 to welcome you to our service. This is paid via our carer payments system when your first child in placed with you.

We also offer a “refer a friend” bonus of £1000 for any referral you provide, and this is payable once the applicant is approved at fostering panel.

All of our approved foster carers are entitled to 50% Council Tax reduction each year.  If you are a Bury resident this deduction is automatically applied to your Council Tax bill, and if you live outside of Bury, we will reimburse you 50% of your annual bill.  This is another way we can financially support our foster carers in the valuable role they do.

We provide all necessary equipment needed for a cared for child in your care including beds, bedding, wardrobes, chest of drawers, car seats and all baby equipment (cots, prams, feeding equipment and bedding). Equipment will also be replaced when needed.

We pay birthday, holiday and festival payments for all our cared for children each year as another element of financial support to fostering families.

Mileage is payable to our foster carers for all school runs and appointments including meetings, training, hospital and non-routine medical appointments.

We run monthly support groups for carers to meet up and receive peer support.

We offer a comprehensive annual training programme to support foster carers in their personal learning and development. All face to face training is held locally, and we offer a varied programme of both daytime and evening courses to fit around your commitments. Our training programme consists of courses delivered by skills professionals including Clinical Psychologists, professionals from our multi-agency links and Bury Safeguarding Integrated Partnership.

We have an active FCA (Foster Carer Association) who meet monthly and are always on hand to offer advice and support to foster carers.

Retainer Fee

This is to help to alleviate the worry to Foster Carers being able to financially manage if there was a gap in between caring for children, especially where the carer is reliant on a fostering income. The retainer fee is linked to the day rate equivalent of the Professional Fee for 4 weeks maximum per year per fostering household.

Adjustment payments

This payment is a discretionary fee equivalent to the professional fee for two weeks at the end of a placement (when needed) such as when a long-term placement end, after a disruption or if the carer experiences a bereavement, to offer the foster carer the time and space needed.

Respite Foster carers will receive an annual respite allowance of 7 nights per year (equivalent to the Foster Carer professional fee). If the respite care has not be used by the end of the financial year then the allowance will be paid direct to the foster carer.

We offer emotional / wellbeing support as well as financial and legal advice via the PAMS Assist & Silver Cloud benefit which is available to all our fostering households.

Max Card is the UK’s leading discount card for cared for and looked after children. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission. We recognise the value of this benefit and provide them to all our children & young people.

We pay the membership fee for all our foster carers to sign up for a Blue Light Card which offers benefits and discounts to a wide range of high street and online retailers

We recognise the importance of coming together for fun days out so we offer summer trips as well as an annual Christmas party which is for everyone in your fostering household, including birth children.