Parent & Child Fostering: Role, Evidence & Pay (UK, 2025)

Parent & child (P&C) fostering places a baby or young child together with their parent in a foster home so the parent can be supported and their parenting assessed in the community rather than apart. It’s one of the most skilled—and scrutinised—forms of fostering, because carers are supporting two people at once while also helping professionals and courts understand what’s working, what isn’t, and what change is realistic within the timescales for a child.

What is parent & child fostering—and when is it used?

In a P&C placement, an approved foster carer provides a safe, stable home where a parent can learn, practise and demonstrate day-to-day care for their child. Local authority policies describe the carer’s dual role clearly: offering hands-on guidance (feeding, routines, safety) and observing interactions to inform the professional assessment. These placements are typically time-limited (often 12–26 weeks), but can be extended if necessary.

Common reasons for a P&C placement include concerns about safety, parenting capacity, domestic abuse, substance misuse, learning needs, or a very young/first-time parent needing intensive support. The choice of a foster placement (instead of a residential assessment centre) often reflects a need for real-life parenting in a family setting with close observation.

The foster carer’s day-to-day role

Modelling and coaching. Carers demonstrate safe infant care (feeding, bathing, sleep routines, safe equipment use), help parents plan and problem-solve, and gradually promote independence so the parent can take the lead. Local authority guidance emphasises warmth and nurture alongside clear boundaries and expectations.

Observation and feedback. Carers pay attention to responsiveness, attachment cues, safety awareness, hygiene, and how the parent manages stress, giving constructive, non-judgemental feedback. Where a formal parenting assessment runs alongside the placement, the carer’s notes become part of the multi-agency evidence base.

Team around the family. Carers attend and contribute to core groups, PEP/health appointments, and professionals’ meetings, liaising closely with the supervising social worker (SSW), child’s social worker, health visitors and—where applicable—legal representatives. National guidance for foster carers highlights the expectation to be an active team member and an advocate for the child.

Recording and evidence: what “good” looks like

P&C placements live and die on high-quality recording. Agencies’ recording policies and foster-carer handbooks are consistent on three points:

1. Write daily (or at least weekly) logs focused on facts: what you saw/heard, times/durations, who was present, what was tried, and the impact on the child. Avoid opinionated language; use objective, behavioural descriptions.
2. Capture health/safety events, contact, routines and changes (e.g., feeding amounts, missed appointments, accident details). These entries can become pivotal if a concern later arises.
3. Handle data lawfully: keep records secure, return agency documents at the end of placement, and don’t retain personal information once the case closes.

Tip: If digital media is part of the record (photos of weighed feeds, safe-sleep setup, etc.), follow agency rules on consent, storage and sharing. If a party mentions covert recordings, note that Family Justice Council guidance now sets out how courts view such material—discuss promptly with your SSW.

The court context: timelines and proportionality

Where care proceedings are in play, the Public Law Outline (PLO) expects cases to conclude within 26 weeks (extensions only if necessary for a just outcome). That drives the pace and structure of P&C assessments: plans must be purposeful, focused on change within the child’s timeframe, and supported by clear, contemporaneous evidence.

Your notes won’t decide a case alone—but clear, factual logs and prompt reporting of concerns carry weight alongside social-work assessments, health visitor input and (if commissioned) specialist parenting assessments.

Boundaries, safer caring and risk

P&C carers balance empathy with non-negotiable safety:

• Supervision levels are structured and may reduce as confidence grows—this should be written into the placement plan, including night-time arrangements (e.g., alarms/waking nights where risk indicates).
• Safer caring applies to both the child and the adult: visitors, social media, safe sleep, kitchen/medication security, bathing rules and transport must be crystal clear from day one. Agency policies require consistent logging of any accidents, injuries or near-misses.
• Escalation: know how to report immediate safeguarding concerns and when to request an urgent review of supervision levels. Follow your agency’s recording and notification policy to the letter.

Placement structure: what to expect, week by week

1. Before placement: matching discussion, risk assessment, property checks (space for cot, safe equipment), and a working agreement covering routines, money management, and acceptable behaviour in the home.
2. Weeks 1–2: baseline observations, health visitor registration, initial assessment plan, and intensive modelling of care routines.
3. Weeks 3–8: graduated independence—parent undertakes more unsupervised tasks; carer continues to observe, prompt and record.
4. Mid-point review: professionals evaluate progress, adjust supervision, and set clear change targets.
5. Final weeks: consolidation and planning—either transition home with support, ongoing community plan, or (if concerns remain) advice into court decision-making, with your logs and reports submitted via the social work team.

Training and skills that help

• Infant care & safe sleep (e.g., responsive feeding, recognising illness).
• Therapeutic communication and de-escalation—coaching without shaming; managing conflict.
• Neurodiversity and learning support—adapting teaching for parents with learning needs.
• Recording to an evidential standard—writing logs that are court-ready if required. Agencies and councils run targeted training; some also offer courses on report writing, professional boundaries, and law/policy relevant to P&C.

Money matters: allowance, fees and examples (2025)

Two components typically make up your pay:

• The child’s allowance (to cover the child’s living costs)
• The carer’s fee/skill payment (recognition of your role, time and expertise)

For P&C, many schemes enhance fees due to intensity and supervision demands. Local examples:

• East Sussex County Council (public web page): £1,264 per week for a 1 parent + 1 child P&C placement (figures published alongside standard weekly rates by age).
• Surrey County Council: up to £1,102.57 per week for P&C, depending on scheme and needs.
• Essex County Council (2025/26) fee schedule: £640 weekly fee for Parent & Child placements, plus the relevant allowance x2 (for both the parent and the child if the parent is under 18). If the parent is over 18, the allowance element is negotiated based on benefits. This document also lists waking-night/short breaks rates.
• IFAs (independent agencies) often advertise higher combined packages. Published examples indicate P&C allowances starting from c. £860 per week, with mainstream ranges for standard placements sitting lower. Always separate allowance vs fee when comparing.

Remember: your take-home is influenced by HMRC’s Qualifying Care Relief (QCR). For 2025/26, QCR provides a fixed household amount plus a weekly amount per person cared for, meaning many carers pay little or no income tax on fostering income. Check the current HS236 helpsheet for the precise figures and examples.

Reality check: Published numbers are baselines/illustrations. Packages vary by agency, region, supervision level (including waking nights), and whether the parent is under or over 18. Ask for a written breakdown that itemises allowance, fee, enhancements, mileage, and retainers, and how payments change if supervision reduces mid-placement.

Managing money inside the placement

Some schemes provide a small managed budget or allowance to the parent for essentials (nappies, milk, transport), supervised by the foster carer to build independence and budgeting skills. If this applies, it will be written into the placement plan with receipts kept for audit.

What panels and assessors look for in P&C carers

• Calm coaching style: can you teach, not just “do”?
• Evidence-quality logs: objective, timely, accurate.
• Boundary confidence: able to keep everyone safe when rules are tested.
• Resilience and support network: P&C can be intense—supervision can include nights.
• Team player: comfortable with meetings, professionals in/out of the home, and potential court involvement.

Agency policies and handbooks make clear: your recording and professional communication are as important as your warmth.

When progress stalls—or concerns escalate

If parenting isn’t improving or risks increase, your job is to record diligently and escalate early. The social work team can adjust supervision, add targeted interventions, or—where proceedings are live—inform the court. Under the PLO, extensions beyond 26 weeks need specific justification, so drift is not an option.

Advantages and challenges of P&C fostering

Why carers love it

• You’re helping a family stay together when it’s safe to do so.
• Progress can be rapid and visible: safe feeds, better routines, bonding moments.
• It’s highly skilled work, often with enhanced fees.

Why it’s demanding

• Supervision can be intensive/24-7, with night-time checks or waking nights.
• Recording load is high; everything must be timely, factual, and secure.
• Emotional complexity: you are supporting a parent and advocating for the child’s welfare, even when recommendations may be difficult.

Getting started: approval and next steps

If you’re already an approved foster carer, speak to your SSW about additional training and whether your home setup suits P&C (space for a cot, safe-sleep area, bathroom access, baby-proofing). If you’re new to fostering, the process is the standard enquiry → assessment (Form F) → panel route; many agencies will discuss P&C at assessment if you’re interested. GOV.UK’s overview of who can foster sets the basics (spare room, assessment, ability to work with a fostering service).

When comparing providers, look for published P&C rates, clarity on supervision expectations, and strong training/24-hour support. Local authority pages that publish itemised fee schemes are especially helpful for transparency.

Key takeaways

• Parent & child fostering is about teaching and evidencing in equal measure: model safe care, observe objectively, record to policy standards, and feed into multi-agency decision-making.
• Pay varies widely. Councils like East Sussex and Surrey publish enhanced P&C examples (£1,102–£1,264/week), while IFAs often advertise packages from c. £860/week; always separate allowance vs fee and check supervision requirements.
• Evidence wins cases: daily/weekly logs that are factual, timely and secure matter—especially under the 26-week PLO timetable.
• Tax relief (QCR) substantially reduces or eliminates income tax for many carers—check the current HS236 helpsheet for 2025/26.