How Much Do Foster Parents Get Paid in Oklahoma?

Foster parents in Oklahoma get paid between about $532 and $679 per month for each child, based on the child’s age. Children who need extra care can qualify a home for additional monthly payments, and two specialized programs pay significantly more. The money is a reimbursement for the cost of caring for the child, not income, and it is generally tax-free.

Monthly Rates by Age

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) sets a daily rate for each age band and multiplies it by 30 for the monthly payment:

Birth through age 5: $17.72 per day, or $531.60 per month
Ages 6 through 12: $20.42 per day, or $612.60 per month
Age 13 and older: $22.62 per day, or $678.60 per month

These rates are meant to cover food, clothing, shelter, school supplies, personal items, and local travel for the child.¹ If you care for more than one foster child, you receive a separate payment for each.

Extra Pay for Children With Higher Needs

When a child needs more intensive support because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, OKDHS adds a Difficulty of Care (DOC) payment on top of the base rate. There are five levels, assigned by the child’s caseworker and treatment team rather than the foster parent:

Level I: $1.67 per day ($50 per month)
Level II: $3.33 per day ($100 per month)
Level III: $5.00 per day ($150 per month)
Level IV: $7.50 per day ($225 per month)
Level V: $13.33 per day ($400 per month)

A Level V DOC payment combined with the base rate for a teenager comes to roughly $1,079 per month.²

Programs That Pay More

Therapeutic Foster Care

Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) serves children ages 3 through 18 with significant psychological, behavioral, or emotional needs who can still live in a family home rather than a residential facility. The reimbursement is $19.76 per day.¹ TFC parents work more closely with therapists and treatment teams, and the placement carries additional training requirements.

Specialized Foster Care

Specialized Foster Care (SFC) is for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The reimbursement is $70 per day plus $570 per month for room and board, which works out to roughly $2,670 per month.³ That makes SFC the highest-paying foster placement in the state. It is run through the OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services division rather than the standard child welfare track.

What Else Comes With the Payment

The monthly check is only part of what a foster home receives.

Every child in OKDHS custody is enrolled in SoonerCare, Oklahoma’s Medicaid program, which covers medical visits, dental care, prescriptions, and mental health services. Foster parents pay no premiums or copays for covered services.⁴ Foster children under 5 who receive SoonerCare also qualify for WIC.

Child care is covered when specific conditions are met. A single foster parent qualifies if they work at least 20 hours a week, are enrolled in a degree or training program, or work overnight shifts and need daytime care to sleep. In two-parent homes, both parents generally need to be working or in school during the same hours.⁵ Raise the need with your caseworker early rather than waiting for a bill.

Newly approved foster homes that accept a placement receive a one-time $1,000 recruitment incentive to help with start-up costs like furniture, car seats, and bedroom supplies.

Relatives who take a child in OKDHS custody can choose the same monthly maintenance payment as non-relative foster parents, and kinship families may receive a one-time start-up stipend equal to one month’s reimbursement for the child’s age group.⁶ A child under 6, for example, would generate a $531.60 start-up payment.²

How Taxes Change the Real Bottom Line

Under federal law, qualified foster care payments are excluded from gross income. Both the standard maintenance payment and DOC payments are tax-free, and OKDHS does not issue a 1099.⁷ The exclusion only phases out if you care for more than 10 foster children under 19, or more than 5 who are 19 or older, thresholds well beyond a typical home.⁸

A foster child placed by a state agency, tribal government, or court order counts as a qualifying child for the federal Child Tax Credit. The credit is worth up to $2,200 per child for the 2025 tax year, with a refundable portion of up to $1,700 through the Additional Child Tax Credit. The child must live with you for more than half the year and have a valid Social Security number.⁹

Foster children also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is fully refundable and can add thousands to a refund depending on income and the number of qualifying children. The child must live with you for more than half the year, be under 19 at year’s end (or under 24 if a full-time student), and have a valid Social Security number.¹⁰ Between the tax-free reimbursement and refundable credits, the annual financial picture is often better than the monthly rate alone suggests.

When the First Payment Arrives

OKDHS issues foster care payments electronically the month after care is provided, so the first payment lands roughly 30 to 60 days after a child is placed.⁷ Plan to cover the first month’s expenses out of pocket.

The payment continues during short absences. If a child leaves for family reunification visits, pre-placement visits with another family, or goes missing for up to seven consecutive days, the payment continues as long as the child is expected to return. During a hospitalization for medical or behavioral health reasons, the payment continues for up to 10 calendar days per event.⁷ The room and belongings still need to be maintained while the child is away.

Pending Rate Increase

Oklahoma’s foster care rates have not increased in several years. House Bill 2030 would add $5 per day to every age bracket, raising the daily rate for the youngest children from $17.72 to $22.72, the middle group from $20.42 to $25.42, and the oldest group from $22.62 to $27.62.¹¹ The bill passed the House but has not been signed into law, and OKDHS still lists the existing rates.¹

1
Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Reimbursement Rates for Foster Care
2
Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Child Welfare Services Rates Schedule Appendix C-20
3
Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Specialized Foster Care
4
Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Oklahoma Administrative Code 317:35-5-2 – Categorically Related Programs
5
Legal Information Institute. Oklahoma Code 340:75-7-65 – Child Care and Support Services
6
Legal Information Institute. Oklahoma Code 340:75-7-24 – Kinship Placement for the Child in Oklahoma Human Services Custody
7
Legal Information Institute. Oklahoma Code 340:75-7-52 – Foster Care Contracts and Maintenance Payments
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments
9
Internal Revenue Service. Child Tax Credit
10
Internal Revenue Service. Qualifying Child Rules
11
Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Approves Increased Payments to Foster Families