Fostering in Newham: Local Needs and How to Apply

Thinking about fostering in Newham? You’re in the right place. Newham has a high and diverse demand for foster homes—from babies and toddlers to teenagers, sibling groups, and specialist placements for children with complex needs. The borough runs an active recruitment programme with clear support, structured payments, and practical routes to get started. This guide brings together what’s unique about fostering in Newham, the current allowances and fees, and a step-by-step on how to apply.

Why Newham needs more foster carers

Newham is one of London’s youngest, most diverse boroughs. That diversity is a strength—children benefit when carers reflect local languages, cultures and faiths—but it also means demand spans a wide range of placement types. Newham’s service highlights priority areas where the need is most acute: teenagers, sibling groups, parent-and-child placements, and children with additional/complex needs (including neurodiversity). The council also runs a Specialist Fostering Scheme for children who’ve experienced trauma or present higher complexity, offering enhanced support and payments to recognise the commitment required.

The borough emphasises wraparound support—24-hour access, monthly support groups, free membership of The Fostering Network, and your own supervising social worker—because stable placements rely on carers who feel equipped and backed up.

What Newham pays: allowance, fees and extras

It helps to separate the child’s allowance (for day-to-day costs) from the carer fee (your professional payment). Newham publishes its rates transparently, including two carer tiers linked to training and development:

Weekly payments (2025 figures):

• Age 0–4: child allowance £201 (with £10 savings deducted at source), carer fee £156.94 (Tier 1) or £211.33 (Tier 2).
  Total: £347.94 (Tier 1) or £402.33 (Tier 2).
• Age 5–10: child allowance £225 (with £10 savings deducted), fee £156.94 / £211.33.
  Total: £371.94 / £426.33.
• Age 11–15: child allowance £257 (with £15 savings deducted), fee £211.33 / £277.69.
  Total: £453.33 / £519.69.
• Age 16–18: child allowance £299 (with £15 savings deducted), fee £211.33 / £277.69.
  Total: £495.33 / £561.69.

Savings deducted at source: Newham automatically sets aside a small weekly amount from the allowance into the child’s savings—carers receive the net allowance and do not need to manage those deductions themselves.

Extra payments: Birthday, festival and holiday payments are published (e.g., £300 holiday contribution per child), and there’s a Specialist Fostering Scheme with an additional weekly payment up to £801 (excluding the child allowance) for eligible placements.

Other benefits: Newham’s “Fostering Offer” lists practical supports and incentives, including council tax exemption for Newham carers, 24/7 support, training, and a £750 setting-up grant post-approval to help with furniture/equipment for a new placement. There’s also a £1,000 refer-a-carer reward once your referral is approved and accepts their first placement.

How this relates to national minimums: The child allowance sits above or in line with the England National Minimum Allowance (NMA) London band for 2025/26 (e.g., London 5–10 minimum £225, 11–15 £257, 16–17 £299), and Newham’s fee adds your professional payment on top.

Who can apply?

Newham welcomes applications from all backgrounds—single people, couples (married, civil partners or cohabiting), and people with or without parenting experience. The key practicalities are: age 21+, good health, enough space (usually a spare room), and living within reasonable commuting distance for school runs, contact and meetings. Smokers cannot usually be matched with under-5s or children with specific health needs; for older children, smoking must be outside the home.

If you’re already approved elsewhere (another local authority or an IFA), Newham operates a transfer process that coordinates with your current agency and any placing authority, aiming for a smooth move with no gap in approval—particularly if you’re already caring for a Newham child.

The application journey: step-by-step

1) Make an initial enquiry / attend an info event
Newham runs regular online information meetings and monthly in-person drop-ins at Forest Gate Library (2–6 Woodgrange Road, E7). You can book or ask questions via FosteringRecruitment@newham.gov.uk or 0808 175 3989; there’s also an online enquiry form. These events are the best way to understand the role, payments and support before you proceed.

2) Home visit and pre-assessment checks
A recruitment social worker explores your motivation, household composition, support network, work patterns, and home space (including pets and safety features). Expect to discuss the types of placements you feel ready for (e.g., teens, siblings, parent-and-child).

3) Training and Form F assessment
You’ll complete the Skills to Foster training and move through Form F assessment (background checks including DBS, references, medical, and a detailed home study). The assessor also works with you on a safer caring policy and matching profile. Timelines vary, but Newham can fast-track experienced carers transferring in.

4) Fostering Panel and approval
Your assessment report goes to the Fostering Panel. If recommended and signed off by the Agency Decision Maker, you’re approved—typically at Tier 1. After you complete your Training, Support and Development Standards (TSDs) within the first year, you can progress to Tier 2 (higher fee).

5) Matching and your first placement
Once approved, the service will contact you with referrals. Newham prioritises safe matching—you’ll discuss needs, routines, school, contact, and support plans before saying yes. The team provides 24/7 support, monthly groups and ongoing CPD.

Local practice and safeguards

Newham Children’s Services have been under sustained improvement work in recent years, with official updates noting progress in services for children in care and care leavers. The council says practice has been overhauled following earlier learning, and carers should expect clear safeguarding processes, supervision, and access to management when needed.

For you as a carer, that translates to:

• Clear escalation routes when you need decisions fast.
• Structured recording (daily logs, incidents, medication, education) so your work stands up in reviews and, if needed, in court.
• Multi-agency teamwork with schools, health and CAMHS—particularly important for teens and complex placements.

Taxes and the bottom line

Most carers pay little or no income tax on fostering income thanks to HMRC’s Qualifying Care Relief (a fixed annual amount plus a weekly amount per child based on age). Newham signposts official guidance so you can choose the right method at Self Assessment time; if you have other employment or are self-employed, an accountant can help you optimise.

Frequently asked local questions

Do I need to live inside Newham?
You need to live within a reasonable commute for school, contact and meetings. Many successful carers live in neighbouring boroughs with easy transport links to Newham.

Do I need a spare room?
Yes—children in foster care normally need their own bedroom (exceptions are rare and assessed case-by-case, e.g., some siblings). This protects privacy and safety and supports bedtime routines.

Can I work and foster?
Plenty of carers do—especially with school-age children. The key is availability for school runs, appointments and emergencies; Newham will discuss shift patterns and your support network at assessment.

How quickly can I progress to higher fees?
You’ll start at Tier 1 and, once your TSD portfolio is signed off (typically within the first year), you move to Tier 2—with a higher fee rate for all age bands.

What about holidays, birthdays and festivals?
Newham pays extra allowances (e.g., £300 holiday, plus set birthday/festival amounts by age) so you can include children fully in family life and culture.

What if I’m an experienced carer transferring from an IFA?
Newham can fast-track your assessment and coordinate a no-gap transfer. If you already have a Newham child in placement, your existing allowance can continue for that placement or you can opt to move to Newham’s rate if it’s higher.

How to apply: your next three actions

1) Book an info session or drop in
Email FosteringRecruitment@newham.gov.uk or call 0808 175 3989 to book an online information session. Prefer in person? Attend the monthly drop-in at Forest Gate Library (E7)—no booking required.

2) Complete the online enquiry
Submit Newham’s online enquiry form so the Recruitment Team can call you back, answer your questions, and arrange a home visit when you’re ready.

3) Prepare your home and documents
Check you have a suitable spare room; gather ID, proof of address, employment and reference details; think about your support network and availability (school hours, contact, training). This makes the assessment smoother and speeds up panel approval.

If you need the council’s general switchboard/postal details for anything else, Newham lists 020 8430 2000 and the Newham Dockside address on its main contact pages.

Final thoughts

Fostering in Newham is impactful, practical and well supported. The borough publishes clear payments (allowance + fee), funds savings at source, offers holiday/birthday/festival extras, and provides council tax exemption for Newham carers—backed by 24/7 support, monthly groups and ongoing training. The Specialist Fostering Scheme recognises the skill involved in caring for children with higher needs, and there’s a structured path to Tier 2 fees once your TSDs are signed off.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book an info session or drop into Forest Gate Library, complete the online enquiry, and speak to Newham’s Recruitment Team about the type of caring that suits your household—be that teenagers, siblings, parent-and-child, or specialist placements. Children in Newham need carers who can offer safety, stability and warmth. If that sounds like you, now’s the perfect time to start.