Kinship Care vs Foster Care in Louisiana
Two Different Systems
In Louisiana, "kinship care" and "foster care" describe two fundamentally different legal and administrative arrangements, even though both involve a relative raising someone else's child. The confusion is understandable — relatives can be in either system — but the differences affect your payments, your legal relationship to the child, and how much DCFS is involved in your life.
Private Kinship Care
Most grandparents and relatives raising a child in Louisiana are in private kinship care. The child came to live with you through a family arrangement — a parent asked you to take the child, or the parent disappeared, or the parent is incarcerated or in treatment. No court removed the child from the home. DCFS did not place the child with you.
In this arrangement:
- You applied for custody or have a Provisional Custody by Mandate, or you are caring for the child informally
- Financial help comes from KCSP ($450/month per child) or child-only FITAP ($240–$590/month), plus SNAP, Medicaid, and other programs
- DCFS is not your caseworker — you interact with the economic stability division for benefits, not the child welfare division
- There are no home studies, no foster parent certification, and no court review hearings about the child's permanency plan
- You make all decisions about the child's education, medical care, and daily life (if you have custody or a mandate)
Formal Kinship Foster Care
Formal kinship foster care happens when a court removes a child from the home through a Child in Need of Care (CINC) proceeding and DCFS places the child with a relative who has been certified as a foster parent.
In this arrangement:
- DCFS has legal custody of the child — you have physical placement, but DCFS is the legal custodian
- You must complete foster parent certification, including background checks, home studies, and training
- You receive the foster care board rate, which is higher than KCSP. Louisiana's foster care board rates vary by the child's age and needs, but they exceed the flat $450/month KCSP payment
- DCFS assigns a caseworker who monitors the placement, conducts regular home visits, and participates in court review hearings
- The child has Medicaid automatically through the foster care system
- A permanency plan governs the arrangement — the court reviews whether the child should return to the parent, be adopted, or move to a permanent guardianship
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Payment Comparison
| Program | Monthly Rate | Who Receives It |
|---|---|---|
| KCSP | $450 per child (flat) | Private kinship caregivers with income below 150% FPL |
| Child-only FITAP | $240 (1 child) to $590 (4 children) | Private kinship caregivers (no income test on caregiver) |
| Foster care board rate | Varies by age/needs — typically higher than KCSP | Certified foster parents (including certified kinship foster parents) |
KGSP: The Bridge After Foster Care
If a child was in DCFS foster care custody and you have been a certified kinship foster parent for at least six consecutive months, you may be eligible for the Kinship Guardianship Subsidy Program (KGSP). KGSP pays the foster care board rate after you obtain legal guardianship, and the child exits the foster care system.
KGSP requires that the court find reunification and adoption are not viable. A formal agreement must be signed before guardianship is finalized. The subsidy continues until the child turns 18 (or 21 in certain circumstances), and it includes automatic Medicaid coverage plus up to $2,000 in nonrecurring legal costs.
Which System Are You In?
If no court removed the child and DCFS did not place the child with you, you are in private kinship care. Your financial path is KCSP, FITAP, and the other public benefit programs. If DCFS placed the child with you after a court removal, you are in formal kinship foster care and should be receiving the foster board rate.
If you are in private kinship care and want a comprehensive breakdown of every benefit available — with application steps and document checklists — the Louisiana Kinship Financial Help guide covers it all in one place.
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