Foster parents in Pennsylvania are typically paid a daily board rate that adds up to roughly $600 to $1,000 per month per child, depending on the child’s age, the level of care they need, and which county placed them. So the short answer to how much foster parents get paid in PA is: a monthly maintenance payment in that range for a standard placement, plus Medicaid for the child, clothing allowances, and other supports layered on top. Most of the money is tax-free.
The Base Board Rate
Pennsylvania sets a floor for the daily board rate, and each county builds its own schedule from there. The base rate starts around $21 per day per child, which works out to about $630 a month. Many counties pay above the minimum, particularly for older children or placements in higher-cost urban areas. Because the rate is daily, your monthly check varies slightly with the length of the month.
The payment is meant to cover the child’s food, clothing, shelter, daily supervision, school supplies, and reasonable personal incidentals. Your county children and youth services agency (CCYA) or the private foster care agency handling the placement sets the exact rate. Pennsylvania has 67 counties, each administering its own child welfare program, so real variation exists from one county to the next. Ask your agency for the specific rate schedule that applies to your placement.
What Raises Your Payment
The Child’s Age
Older children generally bring higher daily rates. Teenagers eat more, wear through clothes faster, and have school and transportation costs a toddler doesn’t. Most county schedules use age brackets, commonly 0–5, 6–12, and 13–18, with payments stepping up at each level. Over a year the difference between the youngest and oldest brackets is meaningful.
Special Needs and Therapeutic Care
Pennsylvania uses tiered payment levels. A child assessed at a higher care level, whether for a medical condition, developmental disability, or serious behavioral needs, brings a significantly larger daily rate than a child in a standard placement.
Therapeutic foster care sits at the top of the scale. These placements serve children with intensive emotional or behavioral needs, and the foster parents involved typically complete extra training and work alongside a treatment team. The daily rate for therapeutic placements can run two to three times the basic board rate. Your agency determines the child’s care level and the corresponding payment before or shortly after placement.
Kinship Caregivers Get the Same Rate
If you’re caring for a relative’s child through the foster care system, you’re entitled to the same board rate as a non-relative foster parent, as long as you’re licensed or approved as a foster home. A federal rule finalized in 2023 requires every state to pay licensed kinship foster homes the same foster care maintenance payment the child would have received in a non-relative placement.1Federal Register. Separate Licensing or Approval Standards for Relative or Kinship Foster Family Homes
Relatives who take in a child informally, outside the foster care licensing process, do not receive foster care board rates. They may qualify for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) instead, which pays much less. If you’re a relative considering foster care, getting licensed through your county agency is the most direct path to full financial support.
What Else Comes With the Placement
Clothing and Placement Allowances
When a child first arrives, the agency will often provide a one-time clothing allowance to help you outfit them. Many children enter foster care with little more than what they’re wearing. Additional clothing allowances may be issued seasonally or annually, and the amounts vary by county. Some counties also provide funds for birthday gifts, school pictures, and haircuts. Ask your caseworker what your county offers, because these are easy benefits to miss if nobody mentions them.
Medicaid for the Child
Every child in Pennsylvania’s foster care system is automatically eligible for Medical Assistance, the state’s Medicaid program. It covers doctor visits, dental care, prescriptions, mental health services, and therapy. Foster parents pay no premiums or copays for these services. Specialized equipment or treatment is generally covered as well. Former foster youth also qualify for continued Medical Assistance after leaving care, regardless of income.2Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Application for Medicaid for Former Foster Care Youth PA 1933
Subsidized Childcare
If you work outside the home or attend school, you may qualify for subsidized childcare through the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Foster parents are specifically included: the child must live with a parent, which includes foster parents, who is working, in job training, or in an educational program.3Child Care Technical Assistance Network. Understanding Federal Eligibility Requirements In Pennsylvania, the local Early Learning Resource Center handles subsidy applications. Income limits usually apply, but agencies can waive the income requirement on a case-by-case basis for children receiving protective services.
Respite Care
Respite care lets another approved caregiver look after your foster child temporarily. When it’s used, the agency typically pays the respite provider a daily rate, and in many counties you continue receiving your board rate during the respite period. The frequency is generally limited to about once a month under normal circumstances, with longer or more frequent respite arranged case by case. Talk to your caseworker about scheduling respite before burnout sets in.
Mileage Reimbursement
Foster parents frequently drive children to medical appointments, therapy sessions, school, and visits with biological parents. Many agencies reimburse mileage for these trips. The IRS standard mileage rate for medical-purpose driving in 2026 is 20.5 cents per mile, though your agency may use a different reimbursement rate.4Internal Revenue Service. IRS Sets 2026 Business Standard Mileage Rate at 72.5 Cents per Mile, Up 2.5 Cents Keep a mileage log from day one. Agencies reimburse more consistently when you can show clear records of where you drove and why.
An Expense the Payment Doesn’t Cover: Insurance
Pennsylvania requires foster parents to carry general liability insurance and fire insurance for the home where foster care is provided. It’s a condition of approval as a foster family.5PA Code and Bulletin. Pennsylvania Code 55 3130.90 – Insurance Protection A standard homeowner’s or renter’s policy likely satisfies the fire insurance requirement, but confirm with your insurer that foster care activity is covered. Your county agency is permitted to purchase liability insurance on your behalf, and some do. Others expect you to arrange your own. Clarify this before your home is approved so you’re not caught off guard.
If You Adopt From Foster Care
If you go on to adopt a child from foster care in Pennsylvania, you may qualify for a monthly adoption assistance subsidy. The amount is negotiated between you and the county agency and is meant to cover the child’s ordinary and special needs. The subsidy cannot exceed what the child would have received as a foster care maintenance payment.6Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Adoption Assistance Q and A Children adopted from foster care also typically keep their Medical Assistance eligibility, which matters because many of them have ongoing medical or therapeutic needs.
Taxes on Foster Care Payments
Foster care payments in Pennsylvania are generally tax-free. Under federal law, qualified foster care payments are excluded from your gross income. That covers both the regular board rate and difficulty-of-care payments for children with special needs.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments The exclusion applies as long as the payments come through a state foster care program and are paid by a state, local government, or licensed placement agency.
There are caps on how many children qualify. For regular foster care payments, if any of your foster children are 19 or older, the tax-free treatment applies to a maximum of five such individuals. For difficulty-of-care payments, the limit is 10 children under 19 and five who are 19 or older.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments Most families won’t hit these limits.
You may also be able to claim a foster child as a dependent if the child lived with you for more than half the year and meets the other qualifying child rules. That can open the door to the child tax credit and earned income tax credit. The interaction between the income exclusion and dependent credits gets complicated, so a tax professional familiar with foster care is worth the fee.
When and How You Get Paid
Your county CCYA or private foster care agency processes payments, usually monthly and by direct deposit. Some agencies still issue paper checks. You’ll typically confirm the child’s continued placement through a monthly report or attendance record before payment is released. If a child leaves your home mid-month, expect a prorated payment for the days the child was actually in your care.
Delays happen, especially during the first month of a new placement while paperwork catches up. If your payment is late, contact your caseworker or the agency’s fiscal department directly. Keep copies of placement documents, signed agreements, and submitted attendance records so you can resolve payment issues quickly.