Illinois Subsidized Guardianship (KinGAP): Payment Rates and Eligibility

What Subsidized Guardianship Means in Illinois

Subsidized guardianship — also called the Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP) or KinGAP — is a permanent legal arrangement where a relative takes legal guardianship of a child leaving DCFS foster care, with ongoing monthly payments and Medicaid coverage.

This is the highest-paying kinship benefit in Illinois. Monthly rates match foster care board rates, payments continue until the child turns 18 (or 21 in some cases), and the child keeps full Medicaid coverage even if you move to another state.

But it comes with a strict eligibility path that trips up many families.

Current Monthly Payment Rates

Subsidized guardianship payments are pegged to Illinois licensed foster care board rates. After recent COLA adjustments, current monthly rates by child age:

Payments cannot exceed the licensed foster care maintenance payment the child received while in foster care.

The Strict Eligibility Path

Subsidized guardianship isn't available to every kinship caregiver. It's specifically for children exiting the formal DCFS child welfare system. Every one of these conditions must be met:

1. The child must be a ward of the court — adjudicated through the Juvenile Court Act
2. You must be a fully licensed relative foster parent — the child has lived in your licensed home for at least 6 consecutive months while in DCFS custody
3. Reunification and adoption must be ruled out — a formal Child and Family Team Meeting and Administrative Case Review must determine that returning home and adoption aren't appropriate
4. The subsidized guardianship agreement must be signed before the court order — this is the critical timing issue

That fourth requirement catches families off guard. If you go to court and get a guardianship order first, then try to negotiate the subsidy agreement afterward, you've permanently forfeited the subsidy. The contract with DCFS must be fully executed before the Circuit Court enters the final guardianship order.

What's Included Beyond Monthly Payments

• Full Medicaid coverage through DCFS — continues even if you and the child move to another state
• Non-recurring legal fee reimbursement up to $2,000 per child for the guardianship court proceedings
• Extended coverage to age 21 if the child has a documented disability or if the guardianship agreement was executed after the youth turned 16

Who It's Not For

Subsidized guardianship does not apply to:

• Informal kinship caregivers (no DCFS involvement)
• Relatives with private probate guardianship (court guardianship without DCFS)
• Children who were never in DCFS custody

If the child never entered the foster care system, you won't qualify for subsidized guardianship payments. But you may qualify for TANF child-only grants, which have no foster care requirement and no income test on the caregiver.

The TANF vs. KinGAP Distinction

This is the most commonly confused point in Illinois kinship care. TANF child-only grants and subsidized guardianship are two completely separate programs run by different agencies:

• TANF child-only = IDHS program, available to any qualifying relative caregiver regardless of foster care history
• Subsidized guardianship = DCFS program, only available to licensed foster relatives for children exiting DCFS custody

You cannot receive both simultaneously for the same child. If a child receives subsidized guardianship payments, they're ineligible for TANF.

The Illinois kinship financial help guide maps which programs apply to your exact situation — informal care, short-term guardianship, probate guardianship, or DCFS placement — so you know which path leads to the best support.

See more Illinois guides →