Fostering
Fostering in Reading: Allowances, Agencies and How to Apply
Thinking about fostering in Reading or elsewhere in Berkshire? This guide brings together everything you need to know—how allowances work locally, who the key agencies are, and the step-by-step application process from first enquiry to approval. It’s written for people who are just starting to explore fostering, as well as experienced carers considering a move to Reading.
Allowances in Reading: what you can expect
In England, every approved foster carer must receive at least the national minimum fostering allowance, which varies by the child’s age and where you live. Reading falls under the South East band. For the 2025/26 tax year (6 April 2025–5 April 2026), the weekly minimum South East rates are: £189 (age 0–2), £196 (3–4), £216 (5–10), £247 (11–15), and £288 (16–17). These are maintenance amounts intended to cover the child’s day-to-day costs and are updated each April.
Most carers also receive a professional fee or “reward” on top of the allowance, reflecting your skills, training, and the complexity of placements. In Reading, the local fostering service (delivered on behalf of Reading Borough Council) publishes a tiered fee scheme with levels linked to training and experience. The official information explains that carers receive a fee in addition to the child’s allowance, with the fee recognising the professional demands of the role. (Reading’s scheme is documented for 2025 and gets reviewed periodically.)
As an illustration, Reading’s not-for-profit fostering service notes that a Level 3 foster carer’s weekly reward can be up to c. £466, paid when you have a child placed—most of which is tax-free due to the UK’s qualifying care relief. (Your actual total payment = child’s allowance + carer fee; agencies can also add extras for birthdays, festivals, holidays, mileage, equipment, etc.)
Tip: Allowance = child’s costs; Fee/Reward = your professional payment. When you compare agencies, compare the total weekly package (allowance + fee + extras) for the child’s age band and placement type, not just one number.
Extras you can claim
- Birthdays / festivals / holidays: Most services pay set “extras.”
- Travel and mileage for school runs, contact, training, and meetings. (Amounts and processes vary by authority—keep receipts and logs.)
- Equipment for babies/under-5s, or safety items agreed in advance.
Taxes and benefits
Foster carers usually qualify for Qualifying Care Relief, which means a large portion—often all—of your fostering income is tax-free, depending on the number and ages of children and your other income. (You still complete Self Assessment.) Check HMRC guidance each year.
Who runs fostering in Reading?
Brighter Futures for Children delivers children’s services on behalf of Reading Borough Council and operates Reading Fostering, a not-for-profit independent fostering agency rated “Good” by Ofsted that recruits and supports local carers within roughly a 20-mile radius. Their public contact channels and explainer pages are the best local starting point if you live in or near Reading.
There are also independent fostering agencies (IFAs) covering Berkshire (e.g., Fitzgerald Fostering, agencies in Slough/West London that place in Reading). When comparing, look at support (out-of-hours, supervising social worker caseload), training depth (e.g., therapeutic/PACE), respite, and fee structures above the national minimum.
How to apply: step-by-step
1) Enquiry and information session
Make an initial call or submit an online form. Reading Fostering offers friendly phone advice and will talk through spare-room needs, age ranges you’re open to, work patterns, and next steps.
2) Initial visit (screening)
A social worker will visit (or video-call) to discuss your motivation, home set-up, and support network. If everyone agrees to proceed, you move into assessment.
3) Form F assessment (home study)
Over several visits, your assessing social worker explores your background, family life, parenting experience, health, resilience, and reflective capacity. You’ll write or co-write a safer caring policy and complete learning like Skills to Foster. Expect checks: Enhanced DBS for all adult household members, medical, references, home safety, and pet risks where relevant.
4) Pre-approval training
You’ll complete a core course (often over evenings/weekends) covering safeguarding, recording, attachment and trauma, education, contact with birth family, and teamwork around the child.
5) Fostering panel
An independent panel reads your Form F and meets you with your assessing worker. They make a recommendation that the agency decision-maker considers before granting approval.
6) Matching and first placement
Once approved, your supervising social worker helps you consider referrals. You can say yes or no to placements—good matching protects stability. Clarify contact patterns, school transport, delegated authority, and support levels before you agree.
Types of fostering needed in Reading
- Short-term (care proceedings, assessments, plans evolving).
- Long-term/permanence (where returning home isn’t right).
- Emergency (same-day or overnight).
- Respite (planned breaks to support another placement).
- Parent & child (assessment in your home).
- Specialist/therapeutic (higher support needs).
Local information pages also cover family & friends/connected persons (kinship) care, including training available in Reading.
Who can foster?
Reading follows national eligibility: you must be 21+, have a spare bedroom, and the ability to provide safe, stable care. You can own or rent (you’ll need landlord consent if renting). There’s no upper age limit—medical fitness and support network matter more than birthdays. Couples (any orientation), single people, and diverse households are welcome.
Support you’ll receive
- Supervising social worker (SSW) visits and phone support, plus 24/7 out-of-hours cover.
- Training & CPD, including trauma-informed care and therapeutic approaches.
- Education liaison (Virtual School) for admissions, attendance, PEPs, and Pupil Premium Plus spending.
- Health: initial checks, dental/GP sign-ups, CAMHS referrals where appropriate.
- Peer support through groups and networks, and respite options.
Kinship, private fostering and connected care
If a child you know is placed by children’s services with you as a relative/friend, that can be kinship foster care, which involves assessment and support via the council. (This is different from private fostering, where parents arrange care with someone who isn’t a close relative for 28+ days; you must notify the council.) Reading provides guidance and training routes for these carers and signposts to national advice.
Costs, fees and comparing agencies: the quick checklist
- Total weekly pay for the age band and placement type (allowance + carer fee + add-ons). Use the South East minimum as your baseline.
- Extras: birthdays/festivals/holidays, mileage, equipment, retainers for gaps.
- Support model: SSW caseloads, out-of-hours response, respite availability.
- Training depth: therapeutic parenting, PACE, de-escalation, record-keeping.
- Matching practice: how much info you get before saying yes; how decline decisions are respected.
How to start fostering in Reading (simple action plan)
Step 1 — Make an enquiry
If you live within ~20 miles of Reading, contact Reading Fostering (delivered by Brighter Futures for Children) for an info chat and dates for taster sessions.
Step 2 — Attend an information event
These sessions explain pay, support, and routes (short-term, long-term, respite, therapeutic, parent & child). Ask about current local needs—this informs your age range and training plan.
Step 3 — Host an initial visit
A worker checks your spare room, talks through household dynamics, and maps your support network.
Step 4 — Begin Form F & training
Gather ID, references, medicals; complete Skills to Foster. Learn the basics of safer caring, education (PEPs), and contact.
Step 5 — Go to panel
After assessment, you’ll meet an independent panel that recommends approval.
Step 6 — Matching and first placement
You’ll review referrals and agree a start date with a clear placement plan, delegated authority, school arrangements, and contact schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to own my home?
No. Renting is fine; you’ll need a spare room and written landlord consent before assessment.
Is there an age limit?
You must be 21+, with no upper age limit. Medical fitness and capacity to meet a child’s needs are what matter.
How much will I be paid?
You’ll receive at least the South East minimum allowance (by age) plus a carer fee set by your fostering service. Reading publishes a tiered fee framework and the not-for-profit Reading Fostering site provides examples of higher-level rewards.
What if I’m interested in kinship care rather than mainstream fostering?
Reading provides information and training for connected persons (family & friends) carers; national organisations like Kinship offer detailed advice about rights and processes.
Ready to take the next step?
- Talk to Reading Fostering for local routes, info events and an initial conversation about your household and preferences.
- Compare agencies by support and total weekly package (allowance + fee + extras). Check that the service is transparent about South East minimums and their fee levels.
Fostering changes lives—yours included. If you have a spare room, patience, and a strong desire to support children and young people, Reading has a well-established, not-for-profit local route with the training, out-of-hours help, and professional supervision you’ll need to succeed.