by Dennis Tivey, Communication & Outreach Coordinator
When foster children are cared for by relatives, they have better educational outcomes and less trauma than when cared for by a person without family ties. And yet California's foster care payment formula has in effect discouraged care by relatives. That's about to change.
Problem
In California, all foster parents—whether related to the child or not—must pass similar licensing and approval standards. But the stipends they receive may vary dramatically depending on whether they are related to the child. Rates for the state's 62,000 foster children have been based largely on the income of the home the child was removed from and whether the child was placed with relatives or non-relatives—with non-relatives paid more.
Solution
After years of complaints, that formula is changing so that relative and non-relative foster parents are treated equally, making it easier for grandparents and other relatives to care for children removed from family members. Starting Jan. 1, California’s foster care rates will be tied primarily to the health and behavioral needs of each child.
Implementation
Governor Brown approved the new rate system in June as part of the state budget, and allocated about $40 million to begin implementing the payment changes. The foster care rate changes will impact at least 10,000 families statewide who will be able to access similar resources as other foster families. Over the next several weeks, a stakeholder group will define new rates, which are expected to be at least slightly higher than they are at present. Once new rates are established, county social workers are expected to begin assessing each child in foster care statewide to determine where the child fits in the new rate structure.
Context
The policy is part of a larger five-year effort to improve outcomes for children in the state’s foster care system, the Continuum of Care Reform. The reform also aims to significantly expand mental health and other support services to all foster families. The idea is for young people in foster care to have as traditional a family life as possible—including reducing the use of costly institutional group homes, where foster youth tend to have the worst outcomes.
Source
See http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2016/08/03/california-overhauling-foster-care-rates-to-support-family-caregivers/ or listen to https://soundcloud.com/thecaliforniareport/new-state-initiative-could-help-all-foster-parents.