There is no cost to making an application to be a foster carer. We cover all the costs, should any arise.

Nope! The introductory ‘Skills to Foster’ course is entirely free - as are all the courses you will be offered. We expect our foster parents to commit to training so they can build their knowledge and skills and be the best foster parent they can possibly be!

All foster parents are paid a competitive fostering allowance. This is intended to cover the full costs of caring for a foster child. It is for items such as clothing, food, pocket money and travel and their leisure activities.

At Rainbow, you have the opportunity to earn up to £1000 per week, which is up to £52,000 a year.

No. We do not pay retainer fees. Our placements team will work hard to ensure you have referrals to consider so that any gaps between placements will be kept to a minimum.

We are committed to our foster parents building a rewarding and long-lasting career with us. Many of our foster parents have been with us for more than 10, 20 years.

We are looking for more people to train to become therapeutic foster carers and they receive an enhanced rate. This recognises they are caring for children with challenging behaviour and complex needs, such as ADHD or autism.

You should not be prevented from becoming a foster parents if you have had financial problems. It will be important that these are resolved, so you are able to provide a stable and stress-free home environment for a child. And it will be important you are able to manage the fostering allowance you receive.

Yes, but many foster parents prefer to foster full-time, so they are always available to meet the needs of the child they are caring for. This means they are always free to attend meetings and participate in training opportunities.

We want our foster parents to regard fostering as a full-time career, which is why we provide a very generous allowance. Some foster parents work part-time, but commit to always being available at short notice should the need arise.