Flexible Side Hustles You Can Fit Around Caring for Foster Children

As a foster carer, your top priority must always be providing a stable, nurturing home for the children in your care. However, you may be interested in earning some extra income through flexible side hustles that can work around your foster carering duties. The key is choosing opportunities that allow you to put the kids first while bringing in a bit of additional cash. Here are some ideas.

Online Tutoring

Tutoring is an ideal side hustle for foster carers, as you can set your schedule and work from home. Subjects like maths, English, and science are always in demand. You could tutor pupils of all ages over video chat in the evenings or on weekends when the foster kids are occupied or asleep. Sites like Tutorful, MyTutor, and Tutor House connect tutors with students. You earn extra money while helping other kids succeed academically. Just be sure to only take on what you can manage without neglecting your foster children.

Virtual Assistance

Many businesses need help with administrative, secretarial, or marketing tasks but can’t afford full-time staff. As a virtual assistant, you can provide services like data entry, email management, social media posting, and more from your own home office on a flexible basis. Zirtual, Belay, Time, etc. are platforms that connect assistants to clients. Most virtual assisting takes place during regular business hours, so you may need to work while the foster children are at school hours.

Dog Walking

For animal lovers, dog walking may provide the perfect flexible income stream. You could visit clients’ homes to walk or play with their pets during the daytime when the foster children are at school or nursery. Register with sites like Rover or Tailster to get started. Just be sure your foster agency allows your foster children to be around pets. 

Food or Grocery Delivery

Apps like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, or DoorDash allow you to work when and where you want, delivering takeaway or groceries in your spare time. The beauty is you can choose to log on whenever it’s convenient based on the foster children’s schedules and activities. Focus on evenings, weekends, and naptimes for the best availability. Just don’t let the extra driving and delivery duties cut into quality time with the children.

Selling Handmade Goods

Crafty foster carers can earn cash selling handmade items on sites like Etsy, Folksy, or Not on the High Street. You could make jewelry, artwork, home décor, baked goods, or preserves during naptime after the kids are asleep, or on weekends. Then photograph and list them online for customers to purchase. It’s an easy business to start with minimal investment. Remember to put safeguarding first and supervise foster children around small or hazardous craft supplies.

Online Surveys

Taking online surveys in your spare time can be an easy, flexible way to earn a bit of extra cash. Sites like Swagbucks, SurveyJunkie, and Qmee let you share your opinions on products, services, ads, and more in return for monetary rewards. You can fill out questionnaires, polls, or product tests whenever you have a few free minutes, like during the foster children’s playtime or while watching a show. The key is being selective about which surveys you attempt based on available time.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writing is an ideal side hustle for foster carers because you can work from home on your schedule. When the kids are occupied, asleep, or at school, you can write articles, blog posts, web content, social media captions, and more for businesses, publishers, or individuals needing content. Sites like Contena, Copify, and Constant Content connect writers to clients. The ability to work flexibly around fostering is a major perk. Just be sure to set clear boundaries and not overcommit your time. The foster children always come first when managing a writing side business.

The important thing for foster carers with an agency like Fosterplus, is that when exploring side hustles it’s important to maintain balance and not overwhelm yourself. Be extremely selective, start slowly, and don’t be afraid to say no to opportunities that would compromise your foster caring responsibilities.

The foster children in your care must always come first. But with the right flexible schedule, you can earn some extra income doing what you love!