Foster Care Rates and Payment Types

Base foster care rate

"Base rate payment" means a payment to the resource parent or relative resource parent for the costs of providing the child or young adult with the following:

• Food - Including the cost to cover a child's or young adult's special or unique nutritional needs;
• Clothing - Including purchase and replacement; 
• Housing - Including maintenance of household utilities, furnishings and equipment; 
• Personal incidentals - Including personal care items, entertainment, reading materials and miscellaneous items; and 
• Transportation - The cost of providing transportation, including local travel associated with expenditure for gas and oil, and vehicle maintenance and repair associated with transportation to and from extracurricular, child care, recreational and cultural activities. 

Base rate payment

• $958 per month for children ages 0 - 5 years 
• $963 per month for children ages 6 - 12 years 
• $1,022 per month for children ages 13 - 20 years 
  

Shelter care payment

Shelter care payment is provided to a certified family during the first 20 days of substitute care for a child or young adult in the care or custody of the department. This is a one-time service only provided once during a child's entire time in the custody of ODHS. In other words, ODHS does not make shelter care payments each time a child moves to another resource parent or relative caregiver home.

• $39.38 per day for children ages 0 - 5 years 
• $39.55 per day for children ages 6 - 12 years 
• $41.49 per day for youth or young adult ages 13 - 20 years 

Enhanced shelter payments

The department reimburses a certified family an enhanced shelter care payment rate on behalf of a child or young adult during the first 20 days of substitute care with a certified family after a child or young adult has been in placement with a Behavior Rehabilitation Service provider, and there is no current level of care payment determination applicable to the child or young adult. 

• $63.05 per day for children ages 0 - 5 years 
• $63.21 per day for children ages 6 - 12 years
• $65.15 per day for youth ages 13 - 20 years 

Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) level of care

CANS level of care payment is provided to an approved or certified resource family, a guardian, a pre-adoptive family or an adoptive family based on the need for enhanced supervision of the child or young adult (determined by the results of the CANS screening). 

Enhanced supervision means the additional support, direction, observation and guidance necessary to promote and ensure the safety and well-being of a child or young adult when the child or young adult qualifies for a level of care payment. 

• $240 per month for Level 1 (moderate needs)
  
• $468 per month for Level 2 (intermediate needs)
  
• $960 per month for Level 3 (advanced needs)
  

Personal care services

Personal care services assist with functional activities involving mobility, transfers, repositioning, basic personal hygiene, toileting, bowel and bladder care, nutrition, medication management and delegated nursing tasks that a child or young adult requires for their continued well-being. 

Level of personal care relates to the payment to a qualified provider for performing the personal care services for an eligible child or young adult. For a more detailed explanation see the ODHS Personal Care Services policy. 

• Level 1 (moderate care) $352 per month 
• Level 2 (intermediate care) $705 per month 
• Level 3 (advanced care) $1,057 per month
• Level 4 (intensive care) - Individual determination by the department based on the intensity and frequency of the personal care services provided. 
  

Child care reimbursement

Child care reimbursement for resource parents and relative caregivers is intended to help pay the costs of child care for working resource and relative resource parents. 

• $375 per month, per child up to age 12. The reimbursement may be available for children older than 12 if there is a specific need for supervision.
  

Mileage reimbursement

The department reimburses a certified family for mileage, paid at the current department mileage reimbursement rate paid to Child Welfare staff. Reimbursement is paid for the following:

• Transportation for a child or young adult in order to remain in the same school they were attending before placement in substitute care;
  
• Reimbursement to and from visitation when family visitation is part of the service plan; and
  
• In-state transportation by airline for children. This may be approved only if the cost of the air fare does not exceed all the actual costs of transporting the child by car.