BCP Council Fostering Service
Bournemouth · Local AuthorityLocally run
BCP Council Fostering Service is the local authority's own fostering service for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
What to know about BCP Council Fostering Service
Unlike Independent Fostering Agencies (IFAs), BCP Council is directly responsible for all children entering care in the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole areas. Local children are placed with BCP Council foster carers first before external options are considered.
BCP Council Fostering Service's primary mission is to keep local children in their home communities. It matters that children stay close to their schools, friends, and familiar surroundings.
Initial recruitment and enquiry handling are supported through Fostering South West, a collaborative partnership across 15 local authorities in the South West region.
bcpfostering.co.ukTypes of fostering offered
Fostering allowances
BCP pays foster carers every fortnight. For each child you receive an allowance set by the child's age, plus a fostering fee based on your skill level. BCP says carers can receive up to £789 a week per child, depending on the child's age and needs.
BCP gives this one age band as its example. Its website doesn't list the other age bands.
Paid to new carers once the mandatory training is done. Fees can rise with experience, availability, training and caring for children with complex needs.
A worked example from BCP:
The £189 fee plus the £227 allowance.
Figures taken from BCP Fostering's website in October 2026. BCP doesn't show a date for these rates and only lists some of them, so ask the service for the full table.
Shortlist to confirm what you'd be paid
Areas covered
BH: BH
What Ofsted say
BCP Council Fostering Service is currently rated Good by Ofsted.
Local authorities are inspected under the ILACS framework across all children's services. Ratings shown reflect the 'Children in Care' sub-judgment.
Read the full report on the Ofsted website