While You Wait: Our Support Payments

At Compass, we understand the importance of a stable income – especially throughout the cost-of-living crisis. That’s why we’re committed to supporting our carers every step of the way.

Our Support Payments are offered to newly-approved foster carers who might need to wait a few weeks before taking a child into their care.

This can happen for a range of reasons – from not yet finding a suitable match between foster carer and foster child, to other circumstances out of our control.

For those waiting a little longer for a fostering arrangement, we offer a £155 per-week payment to help ease any financial concerns. A little like a loan, these payments are made for a period of up to 12 weeks and help provide foster carers with a financial safety net during these difficult times.

You’ll begin repaying these payments in small instalments as soon as your first foster child comes to stay with you, and your fostering allowance begins.

The amount you pay back at a time will depend on the type of fostering arrangement you have – as allowances vary between the different types of fostering.

We work hard to provide our foster carers with a wealth of support – from the moment you submit an enquiry with us, throughout your assessment, to your first foster child and beyond.

Support Payments are available to our foster carers following their approval. Once you’ve signed up for Support Payments, we’ll send you a full payment breakdown – explaining everything you need to know about your tailored payment plan.

If you’re interested in benefitting from Support Payments or would like to know more about financial support with Compass, get in touch with us by calling 0800 566 8317.