Fostering in Richmond upon Thames: Local Guide for Applicants

Thinking about fostering in Richmond upon Thames? This guide walks you through how fostering works locally, who handles applications, what support and payments look like, and the practical steps to get started. It’s written for prospective carers living in Richmond, Twickenham, Teddington, Whitton and the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Who runs fostering in Richmond?

Children’s services for Richmond upon Thames are delivered by Achieving for Children (AfC), a not-for-profit company created by Kingston, Richmond, and Windsor & Maidenhead councils. AfC recruits, trains and supports local foster carers and coordinates placements with schools, health and other services.

If you’re ready to enquire, you can contact AfC’s fostering team directly: 0300 131 2797 or info@lafosteringse.org.uk, or use the online form on the AfC site. Richmond Council’s website also signposts to AfC for fostering queries.

Types of fostering you can offer

AfC approves carers for a range of placement types so children can stay near their schools, friends and communities:

• Short-term and emergency care – from a few days to several months while plans are made.
• Long-term fostering – offering a stable family for children who cannot return home.
• Respite – regular short breaks that support children and full-time carers.
• Parent & child (assessment) placements – caring for a parent and their baby together while professionals assess support needs.
• Therapeutic/Mockingbird – AfC participates in the Mockingbird model (a hub-home network that wraps peer support around carers and children).

During assessment your supervising social worker will explore what fits your household, space, skills and routines, and what training will help you feel ready.

Allowances, fees and what’s paid for

Every foster placement includes a child maintenance allowance to cover day-to-day costs (food, clothing, transport, utilities, school items, activities). AfC publishes its fostering payments information and explains that the Department for Education updates the National Minimum Allowance (NMA) each April. Agencies must meet at least these minimums, with local top-ups common.

For 2025/26, England’s weekly NMA is banded by region and child age. Richmond sits in the London band. The government table (valid 6 April 2025 to 5 April 2026) is: £198 (0–2), £201 (3–4), £225 (5–10), £257 (11–15), £299 (16–17). Remember, this is the baseline for the child’s costs; AfC (like many local authorities) adds carer fees/skill payments and other extras (birthday/holiday, mileage, equipment) according to policy and the child’s needs.

Two tips when comparing offers:

1. Always ask for a written breakdown separating allowance (child’s costs) from carer fee.
2. Check the policy on mileage, contact travel, clothing, equipment, retainers, respite and how add-ons are requested and approved. Local handbooks and policies outline what’s covered and how to claim.

What about tax?

Foster carers benefit from HMRC Qualifying Care Relief, which significantly reduces (and often eliminates) tax on fostering income by combining a fixed annual amount with a weekly amount per child. It sits alongside your allowances/fees. Your agency will give guidance, but you’ll complete Self Assessment if required. (Use the HMRC helpsheet each year.) [General UK guidance—use with your own tax advice].

Training, supervision and support

AfC provides a standard training pathway (including the Skills to Foster preparation course), a supervising social worker, support groups, and access to the Virtual School for education matters. If you transfer from another agency, AfC has a clear process for welcoming experienced carers and recognising prior learning and approvals.

For education, AfC’s Virtual School team supports children in care with admissions, attendance and progress—useful if a placement starts mid-term or a child’s timetable needs adjustment.

Who can apply?

AfC welcomes applications from single people, couples (married, civil or not), homeowners or renters, working or retired. What matters is that you have:

• A spare bedroom suitable for a child or young person.
• Time in your routine to attend meetings, training and contact arrangements.
• Emotional resilience and a supportive network—especially helpful during a first placement.

There’s no upper age limit as long as you’re fit to foster. Pets are fine—assessed as part of a standard risk assessment.

The application journey (what to expect)

1. Enquiry and information – a friendly call to discuss your home, work patterns, motivations and questions. AfC may invite you to an information session (these can be virtual).
2. Home visit – a social worker meets you at home to explore readiness, space and support network.
3. Stage 1 checks – DBS, references, medical, health & safety checks, and initial training.
4. Stage 2 (Form F assessment) – in-depth sessions building your life story, experience with children, safer caring plan and matching considerations.
5. Panel – a multi-disciplinary group reviews your report and recommends approval categories (age range, numbers, placement types).
6. Post-approval – matching, introductions, ongoing supervision and training, plus access to peer support (including Mockingbird where applicable).

A typical timeline is several months. If you’re motivated and responsive with paperwork and training, things can move faster; complex references or medicals can take longer.

Schools, health and day-to-day practicalities

• Education: Children in care receive priority in admissions; the AfC Virtual School works with you and the child’s school on Personal Education Plans and Pupil Premium Plus. (Ask your supervising social worker how PP+ is used locally.)
• Health: Initial health assessments are arranged after placement; make sure you register with a GP and dentist promptly. Keep receipts for approved expenses and follow the service’s guidance on medicines and consent.
• Contact: Many children have family time arranged by the local authority. You’ll get schedules, venues and mileage guidance so travel can be claimed in line with policy.

Safeguarding and out-of-hours help

You’re never on your own. Carers have a supervising social worker and access to out-of-hours support. If you ever have an immediate safeguarding concern, contact AfC via the Single Point of Access (SPA) for Kingston and Richmond. The SPA number and online referral form are published on AfC’s site (with out-of-hours details). Keep these numbers on your phone.

How Richmond compares to going with an Independent Fostering Agency (IFA)

Some applicants consider IFAs because of perceived higher pay. Remember:

• Local authority fostering (AfC) works directly with Richmond and neighbouring councils, often prioritising local placements (which helps with school and contact).
• IFAs can offer a broader geographic footprint and specialist packages; they usually combine allowance and fee into a single weekly figure.
• Beyond pay, weigh training quality, stability of placements, travel distance, and the strength of local networks such as Mockingbird. Ask each provider to break down payments and support in writing.

Three common questions from Richmond applicants

Do I need to live in Richmond to foster with AfC?
AfC recruits in Richmond, Kingston and RBWM. Living close helps keep children near their schools and support networks, but ask the team if you’re on the border—they’ll advise.

How many bedrooms do I need?
Each fostered child generally needs their own room (there are limited exceptions for siblings and very young children). Your home check will cover space and safety.

Can I work and still foster?
Yes—many carers work. The key is flexibility for school runs, contact and meetings. Talk through your pattern in assessment so matching suits your availability.

Ready to take the next step?

• Call AfC Fostering: 0300 131 2797
• Email: info@lafosteringse.org.uk
• Learn more / enquire online: AfC fostering pages (payments, support, policies) and the Richmond Council fostering page link straight to AfC.

Final word

Fostering changes lives—yours included. In Richmond upon Thames you’ll be supported by a local, not-for-profit service that knows the borough’s schools, health partners and community resources. Take an hour to speak with the AfC team, ask them to walk you through payments (allowance plus fee), the Mockingbird network, and the timeline to panel. From there, you’ll have a clear plan to become an approved foster carer—right here in your community.