You asked for an explanation of the differences in payment rates for relative caregivers taking care of foster children who are involved with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) compared with the payments for children who are not involved with DCF. You also wanted to know how Connecticut compares to New York in this regard.

SUMMARY

When (DCF places court-committed abused or neglected children in someone's care, it makes monthly foster care payments of $698 to $785 for each child, depending on the child's age. A caregiver awarded a child through probate court—a child not involved in DCF—who is eligible to receive Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) payments would receive a monthly “child only” TFA payment of $333 for the first child from the state's Department of Social Services.

In New York, a licensed foster parent caring for a child in New York City can receive from $520 to $709 per month from the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS)—equivalent to Connecticut's DCF—depending on the age of the child. The caregiver will also be eligible for additional aid from the office. A relative caregiver caring for a child not involved with OCFS in New York City receiving aid for the child from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance would receive $414 regardless of the age of the child.

CONNECTICUT

Relatives caring for a child involved with DCF receive a much higher amount than a relative who has come to care for a child through the probate court system, as shown in Table 1. A caregiver who receives guardianship through the probate court is only eligible to receive Temporary Family Assistance through the Department of Social Services.

Table 1: Payment Rates for Caregivers of Children

OLR Report 2007-R-0057 explains in detail the difference between the two systems in Connecticut.

In addition to DCF and DSS payments, relative caregivers may be eligible for assistance from other programs. For example, the Children's Trust fund is a program that makes grants to caregivers for one-time costs to cover things such as a new bed, winter clothes, or a bicycle. Grant amounts range from $50-$250 per child, with a family maximum of $1,000.

The Children's Trust Fund also funds grants to help grandparents pay for respite costs. Grants are available for up to $2,000 per family per year to pay for housing, transportation, and child care expenses approved by the court.

PA 08-97 made the funds available to all relative caregivers appointed guardians by either the Superior Court or the probate court.

NEW YORK

Foster Care under the Office of Children and Family Services

New York's Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) licenses foster parents. Once licensed, foster caregivers are eligible to receive payments from the office. The amount of the payments varies by the age

of the child and the location of the household, shown in Table 2. Additional aid opportunities for foster parents are listed in Tables 3 and 4.

The program is state supported but county administered. Counties decide how much the payments will be (i.e., all caregivers of foster children in a given county will receive the same amount).

The amounts listed in Tables 2 to 4 are maximums. Nico Ladopolis, legislative liaison for OCFS, noted that some counties do choose to award less than maximum, although usually not substantially less. Counties are required to pay the maximums for special and exceptional children. The rates for special and exception children are the same across the state.

Table 2: Maximum New York State Aid Rates for Payments to Foster Parents and for Adoption Subsidies

* Metro includes New York City, Nassau, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester counties

Table 3: Aid Rates for Payments to Foster Parents of Special and Exceptional Children

Rates do not vary by location

“Special children” are those who have been adjudicated as having been abused or neglected or who are family care patients from the state's Department of Mental Hygiene.

“Exceptional children” are those who:

1. require, as certified by a physician, 24-hour-a-day care provided by qualified nurses, or persons closely supervised by qualified nurses or physicians;

2. have severe behavior problems including the infliction of violence on themselves, other persons, or their physical surroundings, and require high levels of individual supervision in the home;

3. have severe mental illnesses, such as child schizophrenia, severe developmental disabilities, brain damage or autism;

4. have been diagnosed with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related illness, as defined by the AIDS Institute of the State Department of Health; or

5. in the judgment of the local social services commissioner, have an condition equivalent condition to those mentioned.

Table 4: Maximum New York State Aid Rates for Clothing Allowances

Table 5: Maximum New York State Aid Rate for Diaper Allowance

Receiving Aid from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance

Relative caregivers who are not licensed foster parents might be eligible to receive Family Assistance from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) depending on their income. The amount of the payment varies according to where in New York they live, what sort of housing they are in, and what other needs they are deemed to have according to OTDA. Table 6 lists the monthly payment amounts for up to four children for a caregiver living in New York City. Additionally, they might also qualify for a heating-fuel allowance.

Table 6: Monthly Payment from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance for a Caregiver Living in New York City

A relative caregiver receiving aid from OCFS is not eligible to receive aid for the child from OTDA.

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