Boost in support for foster carers in Stockton-on-Tees
Foster carers and looked-after children in Stockton-on-Tees are set to benefit from an enhanced package of support, following changes approved by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
From September 2025, a new fee structure ranging from £100 to £450 per week will be introduced to support the varying levels of care children and young people require, including those with the most complex needs. These fees are in addition to the weekly Government allowance of £170 to £258 carers will receive per child, depending on the child's age.
The commitment and efforts of foster carers will also be recognised, with those who engage in training and continuous professional development set to receive a £500 appreciation fee.
Ways in which the Council can further support foster carers are also being developed, including commissioning children's therapeutic services from the NHS's Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), to providing specialist psychotherapy training for social care staff. The Council will also establish an additional Mockingbird peer 'constellation' which provides first-hand support to foster carers.
By modernising its fostering service, the Council aims to attract new foster carers, offer improved support to existing approved carers, and meet the diverse needs of children in care.
It also means that looked-after children from Stockton-on-Tees currently in external residential placements can be matched to local foster carers, where they can be looked after closer to home in mainstream care and reducing the need for care arrangements outside of the Borough.
The changes follow a review of the fostering offer and are part of the Council's 'Powering our Future' transformation programme to reduce inequalities across the Borough, delivering better outcomes for local people.
Councillor Clare Besford, the Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said: "Sadly through no fault of their own, there are children in our Borough who need to live apart from their families. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life and it's our ambition to provide that, by encouraging more people to consider fostering while making sure that carers and children receive the right level of support to deliver better, longer-term outcomes.
"One of our ambitions is to bring more children into mainstream care locally rather than place them outside of the Borough or with Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs), which are often very costly.
"But we also acknowledge that there is a vital need for more foster carers in Stockton-on-Tees so offering a competitive and comprehensive support package can help to fill the gap.
"A strong theme in the Council's Powering our Future work is prevention and early help - we want to keep children living with families in their local community. By providing enhanced help through training and therapeutic services, foster carers will have more support, leading to more stable, longer-term placements and preventing need for other services.
"By making these changes we can better support looked-after children in safe, inclusive and loving environments where they can thrive.
"We hope our enhanced offer of support will encourage more foster carers to come forward and support young people in our borough to flourish, and our team would be delighted to provide more information for anyone who is thinking of providing life-changing support to children in our Borough. To find out more, please visit the Foster with North East website."
These proposals were approved by Cabinet at a meeting yesterday (Thursday, 17 July).
For more information about fostering with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council visit the Foster with North East website.
