Minister Calleary extends eligibility for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to Foster Care Families

Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary TD, has today announced that the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance eligibility is being extended to include children for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid.

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off, means tested payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.

The rate of payment for 2025 is €160 for children aged 4 - 11 and €285 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education.

It is estimated that up to 2,300 children, for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid, will now qualify for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

Commenting on the extension, Minister Calleary said:

“Foster carers play an essential role in our care system, and I am committed to supporting them. That’s why I am really pleased to announce that children for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid will now be eligible for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

“In the Programme for Government, we said that we would examine the Back-to-School eligibility criteria to allow flexibility for foster carers and I am pleased to fulfil this commitment.

We expect some 2,300 children in foster care will now be eligible for this important allowance and I encourage foster care families to apply online at MyWelfare.”

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme is currently open and foster care families can make an application online on www.MyWelfare.ie.

Welcoming the extension, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD, added:

“Foster carers look after around 87 per cent of children in State care and they do so much great work every day. They have campaigned for years for the right to get the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for the children they care for, and it is fantastic that this now has become a reality.

I want to thank Minister Calleary and his Department for their proactive approach to this and I will work to provide further supports for our invaluable foster carers.”

Notes

The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance provides a once-off payment to eligible families towards the cost of school clothing and footwear.

The rates of payment for the 2025 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme are €160 for children aged 4-11 years on or before 30th September 2025 and €285 for children aged 12-22 years on or before 30th September 2025. Students aged between 18 - 22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of 2025 to retain an entitlement to the payment.

The Department is providing dedicated phone lines 071-9193318 and 0818-11-11-13 to answer enquiries relating to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance during usual business hours Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm. People also have the choice of emailing the Department at bscfa@welfare.ie if they have an enquiry regarding their application or entitlement.

The closing date to apply for this year’s Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is 30th September 2025.

Further information on the eligibility criteria for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is available at www.gov.ie/bscfa.