Utah Foster Kinship vs Informal Kinship Care — Payments, Requirements, and Key Differences
Two Paths, Very Different Rules
When a relative takes in a child in Utah, the financial support, legal authority, and agency involvement depend entirely on whether the arrangement is informal kinship care or formal foster kinship care through DCFS. The two systems share a goal — keeping a child safe with family — but they operate under different rules, different payment structures, and different levels of oversight.
Understanding the difference matters because it determines how much money the child receives, what rights you have, and what the state expects from you.
Informal Kinship Care
Informal kinship care is the most common arrangement. The child comes to live with you because the parents can't or won't care for them — but no child welfare agency is involved. There's no court removal, no DCFS caseworker, no juvenile court hearing. You step in because the family needs you.
Financial support:
- Specified Relative Grant: $383/month for one child through DWS. Your income is excluded. No work requirements, no time limit.
- Child Medicaid: Full coverage based on the child's income only.
- SNAP: Available, but your income is counted along with the child's.
- Child care assistance: Available if you're working or in training.
What's required:
- No licensing, no home study, no background check (for benefits — schools and child care may have their own requirements).
- You apply directly to DWS as a non-needy caretaker relative.
- DWS will require you to cooperate with the Office of Recovery Services to pursue child support from the absent parents (unless you claim Good Cause).
Legal authority:
- Limited. You have physical custody but not legal custody. A power of attorney under Utah Code § 75-5-103 gives you authority for school enrollment and routine medical care, but it expires after six months and requires the parent's signature.
- If the parent shows up and wants the child back, you have no legal standing to prevent it unless you file for guardianship in District Court.
Foster Kinship Care (DCFS Involved)
Foster kinship care happens when DCFS removes a child from the parents' home through the child welfare system and places the child with a relative. The state has legal custody, and a juvenile court oversees the case.
Financial support:
- Foster care maintenance payments: Higher than the Specified Relative Grant. Base rates depend on the child's age and documented needs. Licensed kinship foster parents receive the same rates as non-relative foster parents.
- Medicaid: Automatically linked to the foster care placement.
- Clothing and personal care allowances: Provided by DCFS.
- DCFS Guardianship Subsidy: Available if the child exits foster care into your permanent guardianship. Rates can match the foster care maintenance rate. Must be negotiated before the court closes the case.
What's required:
- Foster care licensing. You must meet Utah's foster parent licensing requirements: background checks for all household members over 18, a home study, training hours, fire and safety inspections, and ongoing oversight.
- DCFS caseworker involvement. A caseworker monitors the placement, conducts regular home visits, and manages the case plan.
- Court hearings. The juvenile court holds regular review hearings. You may be expected to attend.
- Reunification efforts. The primary goal of the child welfare system is reunification with the parents. You may care for the child for months or years while the parents work a case plan, with the possibility that the child returns to them.
Legal authority:
- Stronger than informal care. The court order establishes your role. Medical consent and school enrollment are covered by the placement.
- DCFS has legal custody; you have physical custody under DCFS supervision.
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Payment Comparison
| Informal Kinship | Foster Kinship | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash payment (1 child) | $383/month (Specified Relative Grant) | Varies by age/need — typically $500–$900+/month |
| Income counted | Child's only | Not applicable (state rate) |
| Medicaid | Child-only application through DWS | Automatic |
| Licensing required | No | Yes |
| DCFS caseworker | No | Yes |
| Time limit | None | Until case closes |
| Work requirement | None | None |
Can You Choose?
Not exactly. The distinction depends on whether DCFS is involved, not on your preference.
- If a parent calls you and asks you to take the kids while they go to rehab, that's informal kinship care. You apply to DWS for the Specified Relative Grant.
- If DCFS removes a child from the home due to abuse or neglect and places the child with you, that's foster kinship care. DCFS initiates the placement and the payments.
You can't walk into a DWS office and ask for foster care payments if there's no DCFS case. If DCFS places a child with you before you are licensed, ask your caseworker which payment path applies during that period. The Specified Relative Grant and foster care maintenance are alternative payment paths; don't assume both can be paid for the same child. Once licensed, foster care maintenance applies.
When Informal Caregivers Consider Becoming Licensed
Some informal kinship caregivers explore becoming licensed foster parents to access higher payments. This is possible but comes with trade-offs:
- You'd need to involve DCFS, which means the child enters the child welfare system with court oversight.
- Licensing requirements are substantial — training, home modifications, ongoing monitoring.
- The goal of the foster system is reunification. If the parents are already out of the picture, this may not align with your family's needs.
For most informal kinship caregivers, the Specified Relative Grant combined with Medicaid and SNAP provides a solid foundation without the complexity of the foster care system.
For a complete walkthrough of all these programs — including application steps, documents needed, and how benefits interact — the Utah Kinship Financial Help guide covers everything in one place.
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