Bridgend offers £800 weekly payment in specialist fostering scheme

Bridgend has launched a specialist fostering initiative offering carers a payment of £800 a week, alongside a separate age-based allowance for the child. Foster Wales Bridgend is seeking people able to offer a full-time family home to children and young people currently living in residential care. The council says the initiative is particularly aimed at people with experience of supporting children who have experienced trauma.

Training and support

The package includes a dedicated social worker, an on-call advice service, therapeutic support and ongoing specialist training tailored to the child and household. Moves from residential care will be planned to give the child and foster carer time to build a relationship before living together. The £800 weekly specialist payment is separate from the child allowance; the announcement does not set out the age-band allowance rates or a total household payment.

Information event on 11 November

A drop-in event at Bridgend Ravens Rugby Club will run from 4pm to 6pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026. People can speak to the fostering team and existing carers, ask questions and learn about different types of fostering, including part-time arrangements. The specialist initiative itself seeks full-time foster homes. The wider range of fostering discussed at the event should not be read as meaning every part-time arrangement attracts the new £800 payment.

Find out more

The council’s announcement links to Foster Wales Bridgend’s information on fostering types and its contact page. People unable to attend can contact the team for an informal, no-obligation conversation. The announcement does not give a recruitment deadline, a fixed number of placements or the full assessment criteria. Interested people should discuss suitability and the support package with the team before making a commitment.