Georgia DFCS Relative Placement Options for Kinship Families

When DFCS removes a child from a parent's home in Georgia, a relative or fictive kin caregiver may be considered as a placement. If DFCS contacts you about taking in a relative's child, understanding the placement types and their financial implications helps you make an informed decision.

How DFCS Relative Placement Works

After a Juvenile Court orders a child's removal, DFCS gains legal custody of the child. The agency then searches for suitable relatives — grandparents, aunts, uncles, adult siblings, and in some cases fictive kin (family friends with a documented pre-existing emotional bond to the child).

DFCS decides whether a relative or fictive kin home is suitable for placement. Ask the assigned caseworker which assessment steps and timelines apply; the placement may be pending full foster-home approval or licensing.

Placement Types and Payment Tiers

Once DFCS places a child with a relative, the financial support depends on the placement category:

Approved relative placement (not yet licensed): The relative passes the initial DFCS assessment and the child is placed in the home, but the relative hasn't completed full foster parent licensing. During this phase, DFCS pays the enhanced relative rate — higher than TANF child-only but lower than the full foster care per diem. This rate bridges the financial gap while licensing is underway.

Licensed kinship foster parent: After completing background checks, home study, and pre-service training (IMPACT curriculum), the relative becomes a fully licensed foster parent. Payment moves to the standard foster care per diem: $29.20/day for ages 0–5 ($741/month), $31.51/day for ages 6–12 ($793/month), and $34.27/day for ages 13+ ($854/month) at SFY 2026 rates. Sibling groups of three or more receive an additional $3.44/day per child.

KinGAP permanent guardianship: After at least six consecutive months of licensed foster care placement, and a court finding that reunification and adoption aren't appropriate, the relative can assume permanent legal guardianship with ongoing payments matching the foster care rate through the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program.

What DFCS Placement Means for Benefits

Children in DFCS custody receive Medicaid automatically — they're enrolled in Georgia Families 360° (GF360), a managed care program covering physical health, dental, and behavioral health services. This is separate from standard Medicaid and provides more intensive care coordination.

Kinship caregivers may qualify for CAPS through DECAL under the "Need to Protect" priority when care is due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Free school meals are automatically provided through direct certification.

One critical distinction: a child in DFCS custody receives foster care payments instead of TANF. You don't apply for child-only TANF when the child is formally placed through DFCS — the foster care per diem replaces it at a significantly higher rate.

Your Rights as a Relative During Placement

Georgia law gives relatives certain protections in the DFCS process:

• Notification: Ask the child's caseworker how relatives will be identified and notified after removal
• Placement: DFCS may consider a suitable relative or fictive kin caregiver while the child remains in state custody
• Licensing flexibility: Ask DFCS which licensing requirements apply to your relative placement and whether any waiver process is available
• Permanency voice: Ask the caseworker how you can participate in the child's permanency planning

If you're asked to take a relative's child through DFCS and aren't sure whether to accept, you can request time to ask questions. Key questions for the caseworker: What is the expected timeline for the case? What financial support starts immediately? When does the licensing process begin? Is KinGAP likely to become an option?

Informal vs. Formal Placement

Some families arrange relative care privately — a grandmother takes in a grandchild without DFCS involvement. In those cases, the child isn't in DFCS custody and foster care payments don't apply. The financial path runs through TANF child-only ($155/month for one child) plus whatever other benefits the child qualifies for.

If a child is at risk and DFCS becomes involved later, the agency may formalize the existing placement. This transition changes the financial support significantly — from TANF-level payments to foster care per diem — so understanding the distinction matters.

For a complete map of every payment program and how they connect based on your specific care arrangement, our Georgia kinship financial help guide walks through each scenario with the actual dollar amounts and eligibility rules.

See more Georgia guides →