Wisconsin Kinship Care Payment Amount 2026 and 2027

The Base Rate: $384 Per Month Per Child

The statutory Kinship Care payment rate in Wisconsin is $384 per month per child, effective January 1, 2026, under Wis. Stat. § 48.57(3m)(am). This rate applies to both standard kinship care and long-term kinship care, and it remains the same for 2027.

This is a flat per-child payment. If you're caring for two grandchildren, you receive $384 for each — $768 per month total. The payment goes directly to you as the caregiver.

Current and Proposed Age-Tiered Rates

Under 2025 Wisconsin Act 15, the legislature established age-tiered rates that align kinship payments with the child's age:

A proposed amendment (AB50 Amendment AA8) would push these rates slightly higher — $463, $507, $575, and $601 respectively.

Whether you receive the $384 base or the age-tiered rate depends on your county or tribal agency's implementation timeline and budget allocation. Not every county has activated the tiered structure yet. Ask your caseworker which rate schedule your county uses.

Your Income Does Not Reduce the Payment

Unlike Wisconsin Works (W-2) or FoodShare, the Kinship Care payment is a child-only benefit. Your income, pension, Social Security, savings, and real estate are 100% excluded from the calculation. The payment is based entirely on the child's circumstances — specifically, whether the child has income of their own (like Social Security survivor benefits or trust payments).

If the child receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the child is ineligible for Kinship Care payments. You cannot stack both.

When Payments Start

Payments begin from the date the county agency receives your completed, signed application (Form DCF-F-CFS2023-E for voluntary placements). There is no backdating. If you've been caring for the child for three months before applying, those three months are not covered.

Processing typically takes 30 to 45 calendar days from application receipt. Some counties maintain waitlists when funding is tight — if yours does, your name goes on a chronological list and payments start once a slot opens.

How Kinship Care Compares to Foster Care Payments

Kinship Care and foster care payments use different rate rules. Licensed foster parents receive rates that vary by level of care and the child's assessed needs. The trade-off is that kinship caregivers caring for a child informally or under a power of attorney are not required to hold a foster care license. Court-ordered kinship caregivers do need a Level 1 foster care license, but they receive the kinship rate, not the full foster rate.

Caregivers who later pursue Subsidized Guardianship (a more permanent arrangement) negotiate a monthly payment that can be up to the foster care rate the child was receiving — but only after completing at least 6 months as a licensed foster parent through the child welfare system.

For the full payment breakdown, application forms, and a walkthrough of every financial program available to the child, the Wisconsin Kinship Financial Help Guide covers it step by step.

See more Wisconsin guides →