Croydon Council: foster carer allowances 2026-27.

Croydon Council publishes the weekly allowances it pays its own foster carers: £208 to £309 per child for 2026-27, plus a fee for the carer. These are the council’s figures, taken from its website on 28 October 2026.

Croydon publishes a maintenance allowance by the child's age and a separate skills fee for the carer, so a newly approved carer receives £533 to £634 a week for one child and an advanced carer £658 to £759. The council does not state on the page which year the rates apply from, so check the current figures with Foster Croydon before you apply.

Weekly allowance by age

Croydon Council weekly fostering allowance by age band, 2026-27
Age of child	Per week
0 to 4	£208
5 to 10	£233
11 to 15	£266
16 to 17	£309

Fees paid to the carer

Croydon pays a weekly skills fee to the carer on top of the maintenance allowance for each child, set by the carer's level.

Croydon Council weekly fostering fees, 2026-27
Level	Per week
Skilled: entry level	£325
Advanced: enhanced level	£450
Specialist fostering roles	£600

Also published by the council

Council Tax reimbursement
Retention bonus of £1,500 a year after 3 years of fostering for Croydon
Welcome bonus of £1,500 for carers transferring from another service
Birthday and festival allowances of up to £309 a year each
Holiday allowance of up to £618 a year for the child and up to £700 a year for the carer
Start-up grant of £500 and a school uniform allowance of £300 a year

How this compares

The national minimum allowance in England is £176 to £309 a week depending on the child’s age and the region (GOV.UK, 2026-27). The allowance covers the child’s costs; any fee is the part that is for you, and it is where councils and independent agencies differ most.

Independent agencies covering the same area publish their own weekly totals, often higher, with more expected of the carer. Use the pay calculator to see a year’s figure and the tax relief, or compare what services publish.

Thinking about fostering here? Compare every service that covers the area: Fostering agencies in Croydon (7).

Source

Fees and allowances (Foster Croydon, Croydon Council), checked 28 October 2026. Councils usually change their rates each April; if this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.