Georgia Kinship Foster Care Payment Rates and Enhanced Relative Rate

When Foster Care Payments Apply to Kinship Caregivers

Not every grandparent or relative raising a child qualifies for foster care payments. The distinction comes down to how the child entered your home. If DFCS removed the child from the parent's care through Juvenile Court and placed the child with you under the agency's legal custody, the child is in formal kinship foster care. If you and the parent arranged things privately — no court, no DFCS involvement — the child is in informal kinship care, and TANF child-only is the cash benefit pathway.

Foster care per diem rates are substantially higher than TANF. The trade-off is that foster care placements come with DFCS supervision, home licensing requirements, and periodic case reviews.

Latest Published Per Diem Rates (Effective July 1, 2025)

Georgia calculates foster care payments on a daily per diem basis. For a 30-day period, the amounts total:

The latest published schedule located is effective July 1, 2025; ask your case manager to confirm the rate in effect for your placement. Sibling groups of three or more children placed together in the same home receive an additional $3.44 per day per child ($103.20 for 30 days).

New placements also receive a one-time clothing allowance: up to $311 for children aged 0–12, and $415 for youth aged 13 and older.

The Enhanced Relative Rate

When DFCS places a child with a relative who has not yet completed full foster family licensing, the relative receives the Enhanced Relative Rate (ERR). This is a tiered payment that sits between the TANF child-only amount and the full foster care per diem. It covers the transition period while the relative works through the licensing process.

The ERR acknowledges that relatives who step up quickly to take a child should not be financially penalized during the months it takes to complete background checks, home inspections, and training hours required for full approval.

Once the relative is fully licensed as a foster parent, the payment shifts to the standard foster care per diem rates shown above.

Foster Care vs. TANF: The Numbers

The gap between the two pathways is significant:

A grandparent with an informal arrangement receiving $155 per month in TANF is getting roughly one-fifth of what the same grandparent would receive if DFCS were involved and the child were in formal foster care. This disparity is one of the most debated aspects of kinship policy in Georgia and nationally.

However, foster care payments come with conditions that informal care does not: the caregiver must become a licensed foster parent, DFCS retains legal custody of the child, and the agency conducts regular home visits and case plan reviews. For many families, the autonomy of an informal arrangement outweighs the higher payment.

How Kinship Foster Care Connects to Guardianship

If the child is in formal foster care with you for at least six consecutive months and the court determines that reunification and adoption are not appropriate, you may be eligible for the Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP). Under KinGAP, you take permanent legal guardianship of the child and continue receiving monthly payments at the foster care per diem rate — without ongoing DFCS supervision.

The critical timing issue: the KinGAP agreement must be signed before the court finalizes the guardianship order. If the court grants guardianship first, KinGAP eligibility is permanently lost.

Medicaid for Children in Foster Care

Children in formal DFCS foster care are automatically eligible for Medicaid and enroll in Georgia Families 360°, which coordinates physical health, dental, and behavioral health services. This coverage continues through any KinGAP subsidized guardianship arrangement and can transfer to another state if the family moves.

For a complete map of every financial program available to Georgia kinship caregivers — from TANF and GRG through foster care rates and guardianship subsidies — the Georgia Kinship Financial Help Guide breaks down each pathway with eligibility rules and application steps.

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