Foster parents will usually pay for school-related activities, bus fares, stationery, school lunches and the other day to day costs of maintaining a young person at school. The allowances element of your fostering fee covers these costs.
We will only make additional payments in exceptional circumstances. For instance, if at the point of placement a child or young person requires a new school uniform, an additional allowance might be available to help with this cost. There is also an allowance to assist with the cost of buying new uniform when the child starts secondary school, or changes school.
You will ordinarily be responsible for the costs of transportation to school, although a child with special educational needs or disability may be eligible for free school transport. Children and young people may be eligible for regional discounted or free travel by public transport. See your local council for details of young people’s travel passes.
We pay an out-of-school allowance to foster parents when children do not have a school placement to facilitate educational activities within the home and community. Please see our Foster Parent Handbook for details.
For more information about finance arrangements for fostering, see Part 1 of the Foster Parent Handbook.
Pupil Premum Grant Plus
Pupil Premium Grant Plus (PPG Plus) is a sum of money allocated to local authorities to be used for the benefit of looked after children, in accordance with their PEP.
The Virtual School head manages the PPG Plus. It is used according to the needs of each child. This means that some children will receive more money than others. The use of PPG Plus should be discussed and recorded at each Personal Education Plan (PEP) meeting. Examples of costs that may be met, or partially met, with PPG money include additional tuition, school trips, IT equipment, sporting or extracurricular activities.
