Fostering in Kent (County-wide): Allowances, Agencies and How to Apply

Thinking about fostering in Kent? You’re in the right place. This county-wide guide explains how allowances work in 2025/26, how to choose between Kent County Council (KCC) and independent fostering agencies (IFAs), and exactly how to start your application—from first enquiry to approval panel. It’s written for real-life decisions: finances, checks, training, and what day-to-day support actually looks like.

Why foster in Kent?

A county with diverse needs—and strong support

Kent’s size and mix of towns, coast and rural communities means there’s steady demand for carers across ages and placement types: emergency and short-term, long-term, sibling groups, parent & child, and therapeutic placements. That variety also means you can be matched to children whose needs—and your home life—fit well. As a carer in Kent you’ll work with a supervising social worker, have access to training (including “Skills to Foster”), get help navigating education and health services, and link into local peer support. KCC and several established IFAs run additional therapeutic training and out-of-hours support, which makes a big difference when things are tricky.

Allowances and fees in Kent (2025/26)

The national minimum weekly allowance (NMA)

Every April the Department for Education updates the national minimum fostering allowance. For the 2025/26 tax year (6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026) the minimums are age-banded and differ by area band. For the South East (Kent’s band), the weekly minimums are approximately:

• 0–2: £189
• 3–4: £196
• 5–10: £216
• 11–15: £247
• 16–17: £288

For comparison, London is higher and the Rest of England is lower; the minimums are the baseline for all fostering services and are reviewed each April.

In January 2025 the government confirmed a further uplift for 2025/26, continuing the recent pattern of increases to reflect costs. That’s useful context if you’re comparing this year’s figures with blog posts or leaflets from last year.

Local top-ups and “extras”

Most fostering providers pay at least the national minimum and often add a fee element (linked to your skill level or the complexity of the placement) on top of the maintenance allowance. You can also expect additional payments for birthdays, religious festivals, holidays, school clothing, special equipment for under-5s, and mileage for school runs, contacts or training, in line with local policy. Kent County Council publishes its payments and support pages for carers; IFAs publish their own scales and benefits packages. Always compare what’s guaranteed (maintenance) versus what’s discretionary (fees/bonuses/retainers).

Tax: Qualifying Care Relief (QCR)

Most foster carers pay little or no income tax on fostering income because of Qualifying Care Relief. From 6 April 2025, QCR gives you:

• a fixed annual amount (shared between carers in the same household), and
• a weekly amount per child (higher for children aged 11+).

These thresholds rise annually with inflation. You still complete Self Assessment, but many carers fall within the tax-free amount after QCR is applied. HMRC’s helpsheet HS236 explains the rules and examples in plain English.

Bottom line: the maintenance allowance covers the child’s day-to-day costs; any fee is your pay for the role. Use QCR to understand what this means for your take-home position before you choose a provider.

Local authority or independent fostering agency?

What’s the real difference?

• Kent County Council (KCC) Fostering: As the local authority, KCC receives referrals first for children in Kent. Benefits include close links to education/health teams, access to council-run support groups, and a straightforward path to long-term or “Staying Put” arrangements when that’s right for a young person.
• Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs): IFAs work with multiple local authorities (including Kent) and often specialise—therapeutic fostering, siblings, or models like Mockingbird. They typically offer intensive support, additional training, and some pay a higher fee for complex placements. Examples active in Kent include National Fostering Group (Heath Farm) and ISP Fostering, both long-established in the county.

Which route is right for you?

If you value being embedded in the council system, KCC is a strong option. If you’re drawn to therapeutic practice, want small caseloads per supervising social worker, or prefer a specific support model, an IFA might fit better. Either way, ask for: 24/7 support details, respite arrangements, training plan, typical fee + allowance package by placement type, and how matching works (you can say no to a referral that isn’t right).

How to apply in Kent

Step 1: Make an enquiry and book a home visit

Start with a short online enquiry or phone call. KCC Fostering lists a contact line (03000 42 00 02, office hours) and an online form. IFAs have local enquiry teams too. An initial call covers your household, spare room, work pattern, experience with children, and what support network you have.

Step 2: Pre-assessment checks and “Skills to Foster”

Early checks include DBS, medical, references, and a home visit to look at space, safety and routines. You’ll complete pre-panel training (often “Skills to Foster”) and some e-learning. This is the point where you’ll start drafting a Safer Caring Policy tailored to your household.

Step 3: Form F assessment and panel

Your assessing social worker will meet you several times to build your Form F—a detailed assessment of your experience, values, support network and home environment. They also speak to adult household members and significant references. You’ll attend an approval panel; if approved, you’re open for matching. KCC says new carers should expect the whole process to take up to six months (it can be quicker if checks come back fast).

Step 4: Matching, first placement and support

Once approved, the provider’s referrals team starts matching you. You choose what age ranges and needs you’re approved for; you can decline a referral if it isn’t right. Expect close support in the first weeks, supervision visits, training top-ups, and help with school places and health registrations.

What types of fostering are most needed in Kent?

Short-term and emergency

Children come into care at short notice. Emergency and short-term placements stabilise things, complete assessments and plan next steps (reunification or permanence). You’ll liaise with social workers, attend meetings and support family time.

Long-term (permanence)

Where a child can’t return home, long-term fostering provides stability through to adulthood. Matching is careful and your relationship with school, health and extended family becomes the backbone of progress.

Siblings, teens and therapeutic

Kent, like the wider South East, needs carers for sibling groups (to keep brothers and sisters together), teenagers (school, friendships and independence), and children who benefit from therapeutic parenting approaches. IFAs such as Heath Farm or ISP often focus on these, with additional clinical input and models like Mockingbird.

Parent & child and respite

Parent & child (sometimes “mother & baby”) involves supporting a parent to care for their baby safely while professionals assess progress. Respite offers planned short breaks to support children and fellow carers—vital for placement stability across the county.

Eligibility basics (and common myths)

You’ll need a spare room—and the right setup

In almost all cases the child needs their own bedroom. Siblings sometimes share if assessed appropriate. Your home doesn’t need to be show-home perfect; it does need safe space, practical routines, and the ability to store records securely. Pets are fine, but you’ll complete a pet risk assessment.

Age, work and relationship status

There’s no upper age limit provided you’re fit to foster. Single people, couples (married, civil partnership or long-term), and renters can apply. You can foster while working; many carers have flexible or part-time jobs. What matters is your availability around school, contacts, and appointments—and the strength of your support network.

Money and benefits

Fostering payments don’t count as “income” for most benefits in the usual way; QCR also shields a lot of fostering income from tax. Always check your specific situation using HMRC guidance or an independent adviser, especially if you have self-employment or other income streams.

How to choose the right provider in Kent

Compare what actually affects your day-to-day

When you meet KCC or an IFA, ask:

• Support: supervision frequency, 24/7 on-call, clinical input for therapeutic placements.
• Training: core modules, trauma-informed practice, progression after year one.
• Matching: how they filter referrals, whether they specialise (teens, siblings, P&C).
• Money: maintenance vs fee, retainer/holiday policies, equipment budgets, mileage.
• Education & health: how they liaise with Virtual School, EHCPs, CAMHS, dentists, GPs.
• Community: peer groups, Mockingbird hubs, events for carers and children.

It can help to speak with an experienced carer through the provider before you decide. Look up Ofsted reports for IFAs you’re considering, and ask for the last inspection outcome and any actions taken.

Contacts and first steps

Kent County Council (KCC) Fostering

• Enquiry line: 03000 42 00 02 (Mon–Fri, office hours)
• Online: KCC’s fostering pages explain how to apply, payments and support.

Independent fostering agencies serving Kent (examples)

• National Fostering Group (Heath Farm) – therapeutic focus, Mockingbird model.
• ISP Fostering – long-established in Kent with multiple centres.

(This is not an exhaustive list. Always ask any provider about their Kent coverage, support model and fees.)

Quick readiness checklist

• You have a spare bedroom suitable for a child/young person.
• Work/family routines allow school runs, meetings and family time.
• A support network who can step in when life gets busy.
• Willingness to attend training, keep daily logs, and work as part of a professional team.
• Comfort discussing difficult topics with compassion and boundaries.

Final thought

Fostering in Kent is a chance to provide stability, safety and growth for local children—while being well supported and fairly compensated. Start with an enquiry to KCC Fostering or an IFA you like the look of, compare support and pay packages carefully, and ask all the practical questions in this guide. Your next conversation could be the first step to changing a young person’s future.

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a Kent landing page with FAQ schema, internal links, and meta titles/descriptions, or duplicate the structure for borough-level pages (Maidstone, Medway, Canterbury, etc.) so you can publish a full Kent cluster quickly.